The Sun.
London, England, 1833-02-14 00:00:00

DEPARTURES.

Sir James and Lady Whitshed, and Miss Whitshed, from
Nerot's Hotel, for Horsham; Sir R. Gordon, from the Claren-
don Hotel, for Brighton.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Slit,-Observing a paragraph in your Paper of yester.
day's date, upon Corporation Reform, taken from the
Hampshire Telegraph, stating, that " the Portsmouth
corporation had been hitherto close, but always respectable,'
I beg to say, that the borough contains from 50 to
60,000 persons, out of which there were only about
five Aldermen and seven Burgesses resident, that pos.
sensed the right of elective franchise, previous to the
passing of the Reform Bill.

If they were not respectable, no one can deny but they
were select. They have now been induced to cell fifty
favourites, and made Burgesses of them, to partake of the
municipal advantages, leaving out the greater number of
the most respectable and the oldest inhabitants of the town.
Surely Corporation Reform is necessary here.

Portsmouth, Feb. 13, 1833.

A SUBSCRIBER.

An evening contemporary has announced that
the Duchess of DIN° intends to give her first soiree to-
morrow (Friday). This is a mistake—the soirée is net
to take place until Friday, the 22d inst.
This being the day appointed for the funeral
of Alderman WAITHMAN, the windows of the Guildhall

were all closed. Soon after 12 o'clock, a procession was
formed, consisting of the LORD MAYOR, in his privat.
carriage, the two Sheriffs, and a vast number of the Court
of Common Council in mourning-coaches. They started
a little before one o'clock, to join the funeral, and alto-
gether, the Civic part of the procession consisted of upwatds
of 60 carriages.

ST. ALBAN'S ABBEY.—Yesterday, a meet-
ing was held at the Thatched-house to receive the reports
of the committee as to the measures taken for preserving
St. Alban's Abbey—Earl of VERULAM in the chair. The
report stated that part of the nave of the church, which
fell down in Feb., 1832, had been repaired at an expense
of 347/. ; and that the roof of the nave, west of that part,
had been ordered to be repaired—the estimated expense
being 728/. The committee have in hand 2,4001., and
the expense of repairing the whole building is estimated at
7,000/.--The Bishop of LONDON, Mr. Muza, Lord
GRIMSTON, the Reverend Archdeacon WATsoN, Mr. S.
TAYLOR, Mr. ETTY, Mr. COTTINOHAM, and the ReV.
Archdeacon POTTs, addressed the meeting, trusting that
the public would not allow such a structure to decay.
DISTRESSING OCCURRENCE AT BRIGHTON.

—One of the most painful and distressing cases in our
memory came before Mr. SEYMOUR on Friday. SARAH
CooKE, aged only 16, the servant of Mr. MEW, of Mig-
hell-street, was on that day brought before the Magistrate,
charged with having -vilfully set fire to her master's
house early that morning before the family were up.
About a quarter to seven, Mr. MEW, finding his bed-
room, in which his wife and two children slept, filled with
smoke, got out of bed, and on opening the door, per-
ceived flames in the passage, and the staircase apparently
en fire. He threw up the window, gave the alarm to
the workmen in his shop, who brought a supply of
water, and happily quenched the flames. On investiga-
tion it was clearly perceptible that the sofa in the front
parlour, which is immediately under Mr. M.'s hed-room,
had been set fire to, and that the flames had speedily
spread to the door behind which the sofa was immedi-
ately placed. The curtains of the back parlour, between
which arid the front parlour there was no immediate com-
munication, were also set fire to on each side; but being
made of stuff, and their being no current of air, the fir,
did not burn. The bed curtains in prisoner's bed-room,
which adjoins her master's, were also found burning, and
her box, containing her clothes, w:s found put away
in safety in the garden under the wall. Prisoner was up
when the fire was first discovered, but did not give alarm
to the family ; and it was found, that although prisoner
had been up nearly an hour, not any of the household
work was done. There had not been any fires lighted in
the gratis. When questioned by her master, prisoner ad-
mitted that she let the candle fall on the sofa in-the front
parlour, and being alarmed by the fire, she fetched her
box down stairs, and took it into the yard ; but she could
not account for the fire in her bod-rJom and the back
parlour, nor could she say why she did not alarm the fa-
mily. On questioning Mr. and Mrs. Mew, the Magistrate
was informed that prisoner, who came from Chichester,
and who had never before been out to service, had been
with them about a month—that there had been no quarrel
—that she appeared to be very comfortab!e—that sire had
left her home at her own wish—and, finally, that they
could not comprehend the motive that should have in-
duced her to destroy their property or endanger their lives.
Her box was searched, but it contained nothing suspicious.
Prisoner has a very meek appearance, and altogether the
affair is most painfully mysterious. She was remanded.—
Brighton Guardian.

MR. ST. JOHN LONG TOTALLY ECLIPSED.

—ln the small village of Egerton, until lately, resided a
man named COUCHMAN, the seventh son of a seventh son
of that name. Though toil forsook him not, his exertions
from year to year were unrequited by prolific crops, and
all, as he himself declares, because he had " a call," which
he heeded not. Firially he obeyed the summons, quitted a
spot which had proved nought but misery to him, and now
resides at Tyler-bill, near this city, where he is practising
the " healing art" with wonderful, nay astonishing, suc-
cess, for the Mind are made to see and the lame to walk,
and the impotent regain their wonted strength. Such is
the fame of this man, that some hundreds of persons have
visi•ed him during the last week, many from H rne-
Whitstable, and Canterbury. Vie will give the descrip,
tion of a miraculous cure, performed upon a man named
STRINGER, in his own words:—" Well, Master S—,"
said CoucrastAN, "what beret matter wid you?" " I
have a tightness in my chist, Sir, and can't breathe."
0 that's but trifling !" whereupon he seized hold of the
patient, and thrusting his hand beneath his waistcoat,
with a knowing look, said, " Your lights are twisted,"
and, using certain incantations, pronounced him well.
STRINGER next morning declared he bad not slept so
soundly for many a long night. A poor man app ied to
be cured of minutia in the arm. Dr. COOCIIMAN
grasped the afflicted part, and found an evil spirit therein.
By sundry squ,tzings he contrived to remove the spirit to
the elbow, while the man bellowed lustily with pain; at
length it reached the fingers' ends, and fled. The man, to
use a quack expression, " is as well as ever he was in his
life," thanks to Dr. COUCIIMAN. A poor woman, with a
lameness of five years' stinding, would have walked with-
out crutches on Sunday, had not the boisterous weather
prevented her. A thousand other instances might be ad-
duced, but those above suffice to show the success of
Doctor COUCIIMAN's treatment.—Kentish Chronicle.

Some nights since incendiary notices were
posted about, or sent to the principal occupiers of Edge-
field, near Holt, and, notwithstanding prec tutionary mea-
sures were adopted in consequence, one of them was carried
into execution on Wednesday morning last, about one
o'clock, on the premises of G. 13. BALLACHEY, Esq.,
when a barn containing corn, likewise a corn-stack, were
consumed ; another stack was saved by the exertions of
what few people could be collected at that time ; it is pro-
bable that this daring act was perpetrated by the same
monster as the preceding ones in this neighbourhood during
the present season, they having all occurred in a very small
angle.--Norfolk Herald,

COURT OF KING'S BENCH.-(THIS DAY.)

THE MAYOR AND CORPORATION OF LIVERPOOL, V,

BOLTON ♦ND OTHERS.

Mr. FOLLETT opened the case by stating that this WO
an action brought by the Mayor, Bailiffs, and Burgesses of
Liverpool, to recover certain tolls from the defendants,
who were merchants of that town. The defendants had
pleaded that they were not liable.
Sir JAMES SCA KLETT said he had the honour to appear
as Counsel for the Mayor and Corporation of Liverpool,
who sought to recover certain tolls which had been received,
as he would show from the most ancient period, and which
had but seldom been disputed, but when disputed bad re-
ceived the solemn sanction of the law. The defendants,
who were most respectable American merchants, had,
however, thought proper to set the plaintiffs once more to
prove their title. If it were pe►mitted to any advocate to
mix up a personal feeling in the interests of his clients, he
must express the great interest which he felt in the pros-
perity of the Corporation of Liverpool. Ile was indebted
to the county of Lancaster for the possession of his first pro-
fessional hopes ; there he was cradled in professional know.
ledge, and be was indebted to that Corporation for the first
brief which he ever held in that county. He should therefore
reflect with peculiar pleasure if upon this occasion he should
contribute to uphold their interests, knowing that his first
and but feeble efforts were exerted in assisting his late friend
Lord Erskine in asserting their rights. He felt also greatly
for the distinguished improvement which had taken place
in the port of Liverpool, and .ts advancement in every
species of commerce, until with rapid strides it rivalled
the metropolis itself. It is not more than a century since
the Corporation commenced making those improvements
which bad progressed to the present day. In com-
parison with every other part of the world, the
port of Liverpool was distinguished by the cheap•
ness, despatch, and facilities afforded to commerce,
and although in London, and almost every other port,
the duties on commerce had last year decreased, yet in
Liverpool the result had been the other way. It was
known, that in that port a large West India ship could
enter, discharge her cargo, take in an outward-bound one,
and leave the port in the short space of four days. In no
other part of the world had so much money been expended
in affording facilities to commerce, and although the time
might arrive when the Corporation of Liverpool would decay
or be crushed by the hand of violence, still it would long
be remembered for its public spirit and the great benefits
which had been derived from its exertions. The tolls now
sought to be recovered had been received as long back as
human memory could reach, if parole evidence could ihe
depended upon; if he wished other evidence, other evi
deuce he could show, by the Corporation hooks, that they
had been received ever since the reign of Elizabeth, and
if he waned higher authority, he could trace it to the
times of Henry VIII., Henry VI., Henry IV., Edward
111., Edward 1., and King John. He believed that so clear a
deduction of title bad never been made before a Jury. In point
of magnitude this was the greatest cause ever tried in this
Court, and the great importance of it to the public, equally
claimed the attention of the Jury. If the plaintiffs should
be defeated, the public must no longer expect the con-
tinuance of those improvements in the port of Liverpool
which the increasing commerce and increasing demands of
the port required. The Learned Counsel then proposed
to class his evidence—first, by proving the title of the Cor-
poration to exact the tolls from the most ancient times, and
then to show the nature of that which was claimed under the
title. Those be would prove by written and parole evidence.
First, as to the title. The Jury were aware that, in ancient
times, a greater portion of the ports of England were in
the possession of the Crown, who imposed dues on im-
ports and exports at pleasure. In progress of time, those
ports were conveyed, in some instances, to individuals
along with the right to collect those dues, In the early
periods it was the practice of the Crown to farm out
those ports, particularly by King John, who farmed to the
Society of Lombards the tolls of many ports—that of Li-
verpool, among others. That continued until the reign
of William the Conqueror. By the Doomsday Hoak,
it appeared, that Roger I'oyton held from the King
all lands between the rivets Ribble and Mersey, which
included Liverpool. King Henry 11. granted the town of
Liverpool to one Fitzwarren, who afterwards exchanged
with the King for some other lands. Henry 111. granted
a charter to the town, in which, among other things, were
included all " right and due customs." It gave the right
of all foreigners to trade there unmolested by the King,
and in the same reign the King farmed to the Corporation
of Liverpool all dues at a rental of 10/. a-year. That 10/.
a•year was collected for many years. Henry 111.
afterwards granted all the lands between the Ribble
and Mersey to Renald, Earl of Chester, who had
three daughters, the youngest of which married William
de Ferrers, Earl of Derby; that family did not derive their
title from Derby, in the county of that name, but from

the hundred of West Derry, i❑ the county of Lancaster.
That Earl of Derby died, leaving his son Robert a minor;
and Henry the Third, as was the custom of those times,
appointed his eldest son Edward the guardian of the per-
son and property of the young Earl during the minority
of the latter. An account of the Bailiffs of Prince Edward,
during the minority of Earl Robert, would be produced i❑
which mention was made of the receipt of dues and cus-
toms at Liverpool as " tolls, stallage, and passage." When
Robert, Earl of Derby, became of age, he thought fit to
join Simon de Montfort in a Rebellion against Henry 111.,
upon which all his property was confiscated, and the King
conveyed his estates to his youngest son, Prince Edmund,
who was created E irl of Lancaster ; after the death of
that Prince, an Inquisitio post mortem was held, as
was then customary, to ascertain what lands and
manors, with their value, were the property of
the deceased, and the Jury found, among others, that
he bad Liverpool, whose tolls, &c., were then valued at 101. a
year. Edmund, Earl of Lancaster, left a son Thon;ias, to
whom the property descended, and on whose deith Henry,
Earl of Lancaster, succeeded. The county of Lancaster was
then made a county palatine, and Henry was created Duke of
Lancaster. Henry le►t three daughters, the youngest of whom
(Blanche) had for her dowry several castles and possessions,
among which was Liverpool. She married John of Gaunt,
who then became possessed of all that property, and the
Duchy of Lancaster had certain privileges conveyed
to it which at present existed, and which, no doubt,
the Jury were aware of. John of Gaunt was the father of
Henry IV., and from the accession of Henry IV. to the crown,
the title of Duke of Lancaster had vested in the Crown. Sir
James Scarlett quoted several documents, in order to
show that the port of Liverpool belonged to the town
of Liverpool, and he adverted to a singular fact, that
was omitted by all historians, though it is recorded in the
Exchequer, that men and arms used to be sent to Liver-
pool, to be shipped to Ireland and Wales. Henry 11.
used to send expeditions of men and arms from Liverpool
and Chester. Edward the Third sent his writ to the different
ports—Liverpool among the rest—requiring them to detain
ships in order that they they might be furnished and equipped,
to proceed to Scotland and assist in quelling the rebellion in
that country. That writ was sent to the bailiffs of Liver-
pool, who were supposed to have control over the port. In
1444, Henry the Sixth granted a lease of the port to a person
" with all the profits and commodities to the same belonging,
save and except the prisage of wines." The reserved rent
was 211. a year. Edward the Fourth also granted a
lease of the town of Litherpoole (Liverpool being then so
spelt), together with " all dues, customs, and liberties anciently
due and belonging," for 12 years, at 141. sterling. The pro-
perty continued in the Crown, subject to the same mode of
leasing, until the time of Charles the First. Many of those
leases had been granted to the ancient family of Molyneux,
Earls of Sefton, who were anciently the King's bailiffs of Liver..
pool. In 16.28, the King, having occasion for money, granted a
variety of possessions, and among them was a lease of Liverpool,
its stallage, tolls, and customs to Ditch field and others, as trus_
tees for the corporation of London, by whom it was conveyed to
the family of Molyneux. In 1777 the corporation of Liverpool,
who had obtained a long lease from Lord Molyneux, purchased
the reversion for (we helieve) 17,0001. that was the nature
of the title of the corporation. It is not more than 50 or 60 years
since persons were living who could recollect Liverpool as almost
a mere fishing town. Lord Erskine, when he went to Lancaster,
to defend the rights of the Corporation, said that he had seen
Liverpool at an early period of his life, and was astonished at
seeing forty years afterwards what the hand of improvement
had done. The tolls in the times of Henry VIII., and of Eli.
zabeth, hardly exceeded 30/., which the Corporation paid for
them. It was not until the time of Queen Anne that the Cor-
poration, having expended its resources in improving the town,
solicited an act for building Docks, and from that period might
be dated the improvement of the port, so that the tolls that then
did not amount to 9.001, now amounted to a very considerable
sum indeed. The Learned Counsel then recapitulated a va.
riety of leases, showing their periods, by whom granted, and
the payment of rents by the Corporation of Liverpool. He
then proceeded to state, that from a very early period it had
been the practice of the Corporation to frame by-law's, impos-
ing fines on all foreigners trading there. By the books of the
Corporation, as far back as any books existed (Queen Eliza-
beth's reign), it appeared that the Corporation appointed an
officer to collect the dues, and to account to them for the
amount. The very tolls now claimed were in the time of
Queen Elizabeth very trifling.

In 1580 they were £2.2 0 0
1623
1651
1670
1720 (after the first docks were built)• 425 0 0

_ -
)729
2,162/, 2,999/.
in
In thefour7rso£4,479succeeding years, 1,163/ , 1,1381.,
1790
1801
19,728
1810
21,418
1820
33,090
And from that period the amount continued to increase to its
' •

present extent; vi;. lietween 49,0004 ATIOOIOOOI. During the

same period the Corporation had expended large "nliIP
provements. He would not take into account what the
of the docks had cost; but, since 1773, the Corporatiotll,
pended, in opening and widening the streets, 63E;
adding that to the expense of building gaols, frees
infirmaries, markets, and other public buildit
formed an aggregate of 1,168,6661. in irer°l
town. All that money was, by means of the the
dispute. The treasurers' accounts would show rhat,
had been received, and not disputed for the last 130
cept in one remarkable instance. Certain corporations,
charters, were exempted from paying those tolls in it,
—for instance of Bristol, London, Lancaster, and one e%At
Ireland. The Corporation of Liverpool claim theerT
exact tolls from the freemen of those boroughs, who wed
resident in the jurisdiction of their own corporation.
of Lyndon, in 1794, insisted that their nonresident freerTh"
right of trading there from the tolls. An actinnhelbl.l
and the right of Liverpool was so completely establish reeet
verdict, that many other persons who had withheld pa
irs
the tolls, immediately paid up all their arrears. Th„iatot
case on the part of the plaintiffs, and he hoped opel
Jury would not, by their verdict, overset o_4ll
custom, and one that had conferred so great a
eu'ioali
commerce as this would be proved to have done. Th rty
Counsel then called Mr. Kingworth, who had ircnin.e,,-
Deputy Keeper of the Records in the Tower, but ro. isv
now a translator of ancient Records, who proceeded,,,,t49-01
pl
different ancient documents which the Learned 00'
alluded to in his address to the jury, and had not
task when our reporter left at two o'clock. „loin
(We shall give the remainder of the day's proceed
Second pr
Second Edition.)
rporationt

REPEAL OF THE ASSESSED TA

MEETING OF THE PARISHIONERS of ST. rLEP
DANES.— (THIS DAY.)
el
This morning a very numerous and highly respec—
table S'
ing of the inhabitants, householders, and other rate-Pa
the parish of St. Clement Danes, was held in the YeS defo
opposite to the church, to take into most serious ceg'sil
the propriety of petitioning the Legislature to 70
house and window duties, and on other important btu% 90
The meeting was convened by Messrs. Bannister an if'
the churchwardens, upon a requisition most respect3bil
by the inhabitants.

At 11 o'clock, Mr. BANNISTER, the senior churc-
took the chair,
for g 4
Mr. COLLIER, the vestry-clerk, read the notice
ads
vening the meeting and the requisition to the church*
which contained upwards of 60 signatures. of
The CHAIRMAN observed, that in consequeneeo
requisition now read being presented to the church'ivard ehept
and his worthy colleague felt it their duty to convene ;01
sent meeting. Being a collector of taxes, it mightn,ise
be inferred that he was averse to the repeal of the o°--0 erg
i
window duties, and consequently would have scrupled iSf
ing the wishes of his fellow parishioners. Such feelings'rti
ever, did not actuate his conduct, for being a tax coll." 0.0
was deeply sensible of the iniquity and oppressive at
the house and window duties, and therefore anxious npl
should be repealed. If the Meeting considered hirnt °
person to fill the chair, he trusted that it would alp"
other one to supply his place.—(Cheers.) PiPti
Aftter some farther speeches, a Paving Board WAS SP
and the Meeting separated.