The Sun.
London, England, 1803-01-31 00:00:00

THR ZING V. WATERHOUSE.

The DJenciarit, ItichardWaterhouse, was brought
into Court to receive 'judgment on the motion of
Mr. Cotsrsr. He was co:witted of wilful and cor_
rupt perjury, in giving evidence .in an atlion toe-
mai hi'.; brother and a person of ,the name of
Skinner, in which it Ancame a question whether five
quarters of oats were delivered in execution of 'a
contract between them, anti in which he sivore that
which was false; and the Learned Judge observed
to him,-that he did this after warning given to him
that be must be on his guard, for that then a person
was in the.ad of taking down his evidence, which
was confirmea by, the notes of the. Learned Judge
taken at the trial, and. which were -cort,e4. By
this tl.e Learned Judge said,. the IMendant gave
wilfully false and corrupt evidence against his neigh:
bnur in favour of his brother ; broke the divine
ordinance,' which direas that man should not bear,
false witness against his neighbour ; and by which
he. committed an aet, Which was contrary. to *all
rules of justice, .and of civil and moral obligation;
and if such a:prattioe was permitted with impunity,
the life,
,the liberty, or ,the property of no, man
would be safe., Even the Prisoner's own lifC, 1i:
betty, or property, might be as liable to be taken
away by the false testimony of another, as the pro.
perty of ore of the parties in this care had been affeCt.
eel by his. The Learned Judge observed; that the
errors which happened irI,CiILISCS from want of 'judg-
ment or:proper attention, or want of memory, were
to be, lamented ; -vut they were difficulties. whiCh
we must Meet ail well as we:can
:thby were brought
upon us by our natural infirmities, but .not I,ry our
evil passions; the case of the Defendant was,of the
latter kind,
,for it was from a. determined intention
to defraud hii neighbour 'in order to enable his bro.
ther to,socceed in his cause., It. was true that some
cases of perjury had been more injurious to the
parties than the present; but recolleOing what evils
may tesult if the praElice of giving false testimony
be not checked, the 'Court must endeavour, as far
as it could, to stem the torrent ofCorruptiOn, and
by exemplary punishment of one person, deter
others"from committing the like, offence. It was
not forgotten that when be was last in Court for the
purpose of receiving sentenceoffiluvits were read that
were (avowable to hischaisteirr ; to this the Court paid
as much attention as they dared, recolletting than
on the subject of charader, there was too often
resetnn to snspeft, that the person giving it, knew
it to he false ; and there was an instance recorded
in. that Court, in which a Gentleman had sworn to
the good charader of a man who was convitted of a
great crime, and with whole conviction he was well
acquainted when he made his 'affidavit. The Court
having consider©d the whole case, did order that the
Defendant :be imprisoned in the County gaol of
Essex, 'Chelmsford, for two years. - •

IRELAND.

/arms frtim Dublin contain some further'parti.
culars of the late robberies of,the Irish Mails, than
have been hitherto submitted to the Public.

• The Mail from Dublin to Wicklow was plunaer-
ed near Stilorgan, on the night of the 14th inst.
being, as well as we recolled, the, third time with.
in the%e three months ; and on the following mom
ing, the Mail coach from Dublin to Belfast? was
attacked within two miles of Drogheda, by seven
'armed men, who, on the driver perievering in
dating exertions to pass, lodged several bullets in
his body, The two guards are stated to hareifired
three pistols without a} , when .the Bags for
Drogheda, Derry, Monaghan, 'Strabane, ite. to_