The Sun.
London, England, 1832-01-18 00:00:00

MOTIONS

Sir EDWARD SUGDEN was desirous of drawing the at-
tention of the Court to the state of the motions—they
were very numerous and very heavy, and he really thought
that some successive days ought to be appointed for hearing
them. The expense to the suitors was immense. Every seal
day the parties in all motions, notices of which had been
given, were in attendance, and really very few motions had
or could have been disposed of lately.

The LORD CHANCELLOR said as to-morrow will be the
seal, he would go on hearing motions till Saturday night
from to-morrow morning—and if those three days should
not be found sufficient pretty well to get through them,
other days must be allotted for the purpose.
Sir E. SUGDEN said three days would be nothing like
ample.

The LORD CHANCELLOR. observed that these sbould be
tried first, and then a further arrangement could easily be
wade.

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

The Court were occupied in hearing motions for new
trials, but they possessed nothing of any public interest.

BAIL COURT.-(THIS DAY.)

ANKINS V. AUSTIN.

Mr. PLATT stated the case. The declaration stated that
the defendant, on the 19th of April, 1830, shot and
killed a sow belonging to the plaintiff. The defendant
pleader], first, that he was not guilty, and, in other pleas.
a justification as follows, viz. that the animal was fero-
cious, mischievous, and accustomed to attack and bite
mankind, and was a dangerous animal to his Majesty's
liege subjects, to be suffered to go at large without
being muzzled—(Laughter)—that before the said trespass
and shooting she rooted up the soil and tore the hedges of
a close belonging to the defendant, and put himself and his
children in great bodily fear ; that the defendant frequently
warned the plaintiff to keep his sow at home, but that dis-
regarding such warning, the sow continued eating and
depasturing in the defendant's close, to the great danger o'
himself and children ; that the animal was so ferocious he
dared not seize and impound her, and that, for the preven-
tion of such trespasses he shot her ; it was also pleaded
that the animal was a common nuisance, and for the abate-
ment of such a nuisance, he shot her. The plaintiff, who
was a plasterer, had the sow in question, which would he
proved to have been a remarkably peaceable and docile sow,
but like all other female animals of the paucine tribe apt
to have litters. On the day in question she took her
family of seven little ones to the de!'endant's close; the
defendant drove her out, and as she was midway out of
the hedge, that is her head outside and her hind quarter,.
inside, the defendant shot and killed her. A more cold.
blooded act, Mr. Platt said, he had hardly ever known,
and to which the defendant's pleas were no justification in
point of law. The defendant was a cowkeeper, and ought
to have more companion for dumb animals. However it
was a case for the Jury to determine, and it was for the
defendant to clear himself how he best could by the assist-
ance of his Learned Counsel, Mr. Huggins.
William Butt proved that the defendant shot the sow as
described by Mr. Platt ; and that she was a very docile
animal.

Cross-examined by Mr. Huccurs—The carcase was
buried, and not sold.

Another witness, who knew the sew ever since she was
a little pig, also deposed to her peaceable disposition.
Mr. HUGGINS, for the defendant, said, he would prevent
the further display of " vulgar wit" by admitting th
shooting, leaving the amount of damages alone to be de-
cided by the Jury.
His LORDSHIP told the defendant's Counsel that be
could not prove the justification according to the form
of the pleadings.
Mr. PLATT assured his Lordship that he could show a
relationship between this vow and the celebrated learned
pig.—(Loud laughter.)
The value of the pig was then proved to be 31.
The Jury, under his Lordship's direction, found for the
plaintiff—Damages, 31.

In the case of E. L. Bulwer, Esq., v. the Proprietors
of the Gloucester Mail Coach, which was not concluded
yesterday when we went to press, the jury found a verdict
for the defendants.