The Sun.
London, England, 1835-03-26 00:00:00

Jane Taylor was charged with having maliciously set fire
to a dwelling house in the possession of her husband, with
intent to defraud the Norwich Union Insurance Company ;
and John Taylor, her husband, was charged with procuring
and. abetting her to set fire to the same.
Afcer other facts which went to support the charge, had
been deposed to, several witnesses gave the prisoners a good
character.

Verdict—Not Guilty, in which Mr. Baron GURNEY ex-
pressed his concurrence.

EXTRAORDINARY FRACAS.

Yesterday Major William Byrne .xi'as brought before the
Bench of the l3rcntford Petty Sessions by one of the
mounted patrol, on a warrant, ciiargina- him with having
desperately assaulted Lord Montford on Sunday last.
The assault having been committed at noonday on the
high road, the greatest interest was excited at. Harwell,
Southall, and the surrounding neighbourhood, to hear the
investigation ; and on the Magistrates taking their seats
the large room at the Three Pigeons Inn, where the petty
Sessions are held, was crowded-to excess.

Major Byrne was attended by Mr. FRENCH, the Bar-
rister.

Henry Lord Montford—About one o'clock on Sunday
forenoon, as be was returning towards Southall with one of
his dogs from a walk on the Hayes road, observed Major
Byrne come out of his garden gate and proceed in the
direction of a blacksmith's shop, adjoining his premises, but
before- he reached it he suddenly crossed the rogd with a
stick in his hand, and, coming up to witness, said to him
" What do you do about my premises you rascal ?" Wit-
ness answered, " Sir, I've nothing to do either with you
or your premises." The defendant then shouldered him
and swore " Damn you, I'il horsewhip you," at the same
time striking him with the stick with all his force, and
following up his blows repeatedly. Witness said "
punish you for this," and proceeded on to Southall, and
from thence to the house of Mr. Bailey, a Magistrate at
Hanwell, where he procured a warrant. On his return to
Southall Park be sent for Mr. Abingdon, a surgeon, to
whom he showed-the bruises he bad received.

Cross-examined by Mr. FRENCH.—The stick by which
he struck was a thickish one. Witness sometimes stops
opposite the defendant's house, as be is in the habit of
walking that way to Ha} es and Hanwell ; but never stood
gazing up at the house, and making observations. Has been
on terms of intimacy with Major Byrne, to his misfortune,
for he has paid dearly for it ; but for the last fifteen or
eighteen months there has been enmity between them. On
his oath he has never walked up to the house arm and arm
with a female, for the purpose of annoyance, and on his
solemn oath before God and his country, he did not lilt hii
hand against or give Major Byrne any provocation.
Henry Hancock and Lott Barrington; two lads residing
at Southall, witnessed the assault from 'a baker's shop.
about fifty yards off. Saw Major Byrne strike Lord Mont-
ford four times, but were not near enough to hear whether
any words passsed between them. Lord Montford was on
the footpath, on the opposite side of ,the road to 'Major.
Byrne's residence.
Mr. Thomas Abingdon, surgeon, of Hanwell, was called
in to attend Lord Montford about three o'clock on Sunday
seternoon. He examined his Lordship's left arm, on which
he found a very severe bruise. He ordered leeches to be
applied immediately.

Mr. FRENCH, on the part of the defendant, rose to do
away with the•atrocious appearance that had been given to
the assault, which bad been neither premeditated •nor ma-
lignant ; but it had been provoked by a series of outrages
on the part of Lord Montford towards Major and Lady
Byrne, ►%Lich no Gentleman could put up with. He was
in the habit of stopping before Major Byrne's house, with a
female of no very reputable character, making gestures and
observations, for the purpose of insulting Lady Byrne. He
was in a situation to prove that Lord Montford had fre-
quently done so, even so far back as a year and a half
ago ; and he had by a series of such wanton, deliberate,
and meditated aggressions, drawn the assault upon him-
self. This, when proved, would, he trusted, in the eyes
of the Bench, do away with the malignity of the assault.
Mr. FRENCH having called witnesses,
The CHAIRMAN said the defence set up by the defen-
dant's Counsel had proved a complete failure. There had
been no evidence produced to support his assertion, thiat
his Lordship had drawn the attack upon himself by his im-
proper conduct. He should offer no comments on the
Major's conduct, but fine him in the full penalty of five
pounds, which was the highest the law enabled him to
Inflict. _ _

The money was immediately paid.
There are a number of reports afloat as to the real origin
of the quarrel.

NENAGII PETTY SESSIONS.

TITHE TRIAL EXTRAORDINARY.
This trial, which caused intense interest, came on on
Thursday before the bench of Magistrates :—Dr. Demp-
ster, Chairman ; Messrs. Willington and Jackson, Count
D'Alton, Major Carter, &c.; Dean Holmes and Phil.
Ryan, plaintiffs ; John Ryan, Conor Gleason, Thomas
Gleeson, Dan Gaynor, Pat Quirk, at Leamy, and other
defendants. Mr. Edward Lee, agent for plaintiffs ; Messrs.
O'Brien and Grace, for defendants.

he preliminary observations and debate, with regard t
the informality of the summons issued to the defendants.
occupied the Court for a considerable time ; at length it
was ruled that they should appear, when Mr. Lee arose for
the prosecution. He said ;—Your, Worship, the prisoners
at the Bar stand indicted for an illegal and tumultuo;"
meeting on Thursday last,when they wilfully and intentionally
obstructed the Rev. Dean Holmes and his driver in the
execution of a seizure for tithes, and affected an overt
rescue. On the whole I contend that the case manifestly
comes under the Whiteboy Act, and require informations
accordingly. _ _ _ _

Major barter coincided with Mr. Lee as to the pro-
priety of informations under the Whiteboy Act. .
Mr. J. O'BRIEN rose for the defendants : He said—
Gentlemen, this is not the tribunal to decide upon tithes.
I ;hall be as brief as possible, and, if I be understood, will
prove that Dean Holmes had no right whatsoever to` levy
tithes under the Composition Act ; and that, therefore,
those persons were legally justified in opposing him and his
drivers.

Phil Ryan (interrupting)—l tell you, Mr. O'Brien, dat
de Dean is a lay imprither—dat it is his private property,
and dat no man dared take it from him.--4Laughter.l'
Mr. O'BRIEN—He may be a lay impropriator for aught
I care in this case, but under the Stith section of Stanley's
Act, the Composition Act is repealed ; Dean HOlmes's
title is, therefore, in abeyance, consequently his demands
for tithe on my clients are unjust, and this Court has no rule
whatever to abide by—the Court of Equity alone-can ad-
just it.
Major Carter—l do not want •to contravene the infor-
mality of the summons, nbr do I want to abide by 'Compo-
sition Acts, nor Stanley Acts, nor -- •
Mr. O'BRIEN—Do I understand, Major, you mean
" nc pieta movere." •
Major CARTER—Ho, ho—that is, be undisturbed the
golden tenor of the law.—(Cheers.) I mean to contend,
Sir, that there is no justification for men to congregate
in hundreds, armed with sticks and stones, in violation of
every act both social and legal, and impede the course of
the law. _ _

-Mr. O'B.—What law ? The people violated no law—
they were rather justified in opposing the Dean's act. ;,,,--but
I perceive the bench appears not to agree with my observa-
tions, and therefore I desist from further remarks on• the
subject.—(Great sensation in Court.)

Phil. Rian called and sworn,
Doctor DEMPSTER—Did you go on Tuesday last to.l'ev
tithes for Dean Holmes, off the lands of Ki!more
Relate to the Court what occurred ?—When I cane to the
spot a number of fellows, above a hundred, oppq'sed me,
and obstructed me in my business ; one man, Tom Orleeson
there, said, my life should be taken. I can't identify every
one of them.
Pat. Kennedy sworn—Were you out last Tuesday with
Dean Holmes?—l was,
and saw a great number'
with sticks and stones, who prevented us making :'of: men
11-1 e;
'sei-
zure ; the prisoners here were all among them.
Cross-examined by Mr. O'BuIEN2You went- out to
drive?—l did. Was there a hunt but that day?—No:
Phil. Ryan—No, but dere was a hurling on purpose to
wader the mob.
Mr. LEE—I submit that neither Mr. o'l rieu tior Mr
Grace would cross-examine witnesses.