The Sun.
London, England, 1821-12-04 00:00:00

THE LATE MAYOR OF CHESTER•

JUDGMENT OF TIIE COURT OF KING'S BENCH.

(Prom the Chester Courant.)

The news of this event reached Chester on Sunday evening,
(25th ult.) and we this day record the measure of punisliment
awarded by the Court of King's- Bench. The intelligence had
been expected every night from that of Tuesday, and crowds
surrounded the post-office at the hour of the mail's arrival, so
anxious were the citizens -to knorev the result. Previous to the
trial of Mr. Williamson, as well as the intermediate period be-
tween that event and the passing of judgment, we have cau-
tiously abstained from any remarks that might be interpreted
is an intention of 'exciting prepossessiOns against his cause in
the minds of those who had to decide on the question of guilty
or not guilty, or of • giving such a colouring to the offence as
might induce revisitation of aggravated penalty. The die be-
ing cast, no such constriction can be applied to those observa-
tions which we may offer, and which a sense of public duty im-
pels us-to submit. The end of punishment, as contemplated
in a moral view, is less efficiently answered by an act of reta-
liative infliction on the offender, than as it exhibits a salutary
example to others, and ensures security to society ; though we
cannot exclude the fitness and propriety of making a man suffer
in his own person for the perpetration of crime, as it may operate
in an advantageous way for his own reformation. There
are several prominent points in the transaction which gave
rise to this prosecution, which deserve to be distinctly marked,
and cannot be too strongly'reprobated.--1. As to the situation
held by the defendant ; he was invested with the high autho-
rity, and sustained the sacred office of Chief Magistrate—sworn
to an impartial execution of his duty between man and man,
without favour or affection. If the well-being of society re-
quires punishment for breaches of the law, even when ignorance,
and want, and poverty, might plead in extenuation how much
.more deserving of visitation is the more exalted delinquent—
and still in a higher degree, when the offender occupies the
chair.' of justice, and has confided to him the administration of
the laws. A violation of this trust is as criminal in itself as
it is dangerous in its consequence and if not efficiently cor..
redact, might speedily SubVerathe liberties of Englishmen, and
bring into disgrace and vontempt the whole Magistracy of the
The nature of the offence itself is of no ordi-
nary magnitude. The very existence of our constitutional
liberties, as has frequently been maintained in the Senate, and
enforced -froth the Bench, is dependent upon the purity of
our popular elections ; and every safeguard that patriotism
could suggest, or ingenuity could devise, has been raised, to se-
care to us-this invaluable blessing. In this case, there is a
gross violation of this privilege—a. violation direct and wilful—
charged and proved to be corrupt. The law, in its wisdom
and mercy, liss made every possible allowance to the Magistrate
for human imbecility, for misconception, and even for intel-
lectual obliquity, in the exercise Of. his Ministerial functions,
and never visits with penalty, except where the intention 'is
manifest, of turning aside from the straight-forward path of
equity and justice.- When, therefore, delinquency of this kind
is. brought home, and conviction ensues, the offence must be
viewed as highly criminal, and requires a punishment propor-
tionably severe.-3. But the consequences resulting from
the improper conduct of the Mayor during the last elec-
tion, are of vast importance. We have no need of colouring
beyond the naked fact, to chew their magnitude. On the trial of
Mr. Williamson, at ShrewSbriry, it was clearly proved, on the
examination of Mr. Finchett, who assumed to himself the merit
Of advising his Worship, that if the young men who claimed,
and had a right to, their freedom, had been admitted to vote, the
majdrity would have been against Gen. Grosvenor, and that Sir
John Grey Egerton Would, at this moment, and during the pre-
sent Parliament', havebeen the sitting Member for the City of
Chester ! This point is now so indubitably established, that the
most violent, and the least scrupulous, among the partizans of
the Grosvenor interest, do not venture its contradiction. And
is not this fact alone most galling to the friends of the worthy
Baronet ? Does it riot likewise imply, a representative without
right, and rights without a representative ?' In this transaction,
the best interests of the City of Chester were sacrificed—most
infamously sacrificed ; and the whole body of the English
Electors, and their Members, grossly. insulted. Add to this,
the large sums of money which have necessarily been expended
in sustaining the petition to the House of Commons, in defence
of the freemen's rights, and the expenses incurred in prosecut-
ing delinquency to conviction. These are some of the conse-
quences resulting from a dereliction of law and duty; but al-
though the purchase has been somewhat exorbitant, we trust
the point obtained will lay a solid foundation for the future en-
tire emancipation of our fellow-citizens. In conclusion, we can
assure them, that punishment is not likely to be the exclusive
lot of the individual who stood as principal in the measure of
March, 1820 ; it is intended Very early in the next session to
offer such a representation on that subject as may reach some
vrho haVe hitherto escaped correction.
THE XING t. ROGERS, PRESENT MAYOR OF CIIESTER.—
We stated in our fast that it was intended to move, during the
present term, for a rule for a Quo Warranto against the present
Mayor. Now we can confidently assure our readers, that Mr.
Jervis has been retained for that purpose; and probably at the
.me we write, this rule has been obtained.

[From the London Gazette, Dec. I.]
I, the Right Honourable Join.: Earl of ELDON, Lord High
Chancellor of Great Britain, in pursuance of the power and
authority given me in and by an Act of Parliament, passed in
the first and second year of the reign of his present Majesty
King George . the Fourth, intituled, " An Act to repeal so
much of an Act of the fifth year of the reign of his late
Majesty. King George the Second, relating to • Bankrupts,
as requires the meetings under Commissions of Bankrupt
to be holden in the Guildhall of the City of London, and
for building offices in the said city for the meetings of the Com-
missioners, and for the more regular transactions of busi-
ness in Bankruptcy ;" whereby it was amongst other things
enacted, that such part of the said Act of the fifth year
of the reign of his said late Majesty, as requires- the meet-
ings under Commissioners of Bankrupts to be holden in the
Guildhall of the City of London, should continue in force
until the building intended to .be erected in Basinghall-
street, London aforesaid, should be completed, and notice
of 'such building being ready for use, signed by the Lord High
Chancellor, Lord Keeper, or Lords Commissioners of the
Great Seal for the time being, should be inserted in the " Lon-
don Gazette," therein fixing the time from which business
should be transacted in such new building, and which building
should be called " the Court of Commissioners. of Bank-
rupts ;" and it having been certified to me that such build-
ing is now ready for the use and accommodation of the
public, I do hereby, in pursuance of the said Act, give
notice, that froth and after the 14th day of December, 1821,
all public meetings held under Commissioners of Bank-
rupt in London, or any place within the Bills of Mortality (as
well those fixed by Commissioners of Bankrupts,. as also all
meetings of Creditors under Commissions of Bankrupt which
shall a holden in pursuance of public advertisement), shall be
holden within the said new' building, or " Court of Commis-
sioners of Bankrupts,'.' in Basinghall-street, in the City of
London aforesaid, of which all persons concerned are to take
notice.—Dated this 29th day of November, 1821.
ELDON C.:

Lord A.-T-lA3IILTON V. the PRINTER and PUBLISHER of
the BEACON.—Yesterday this cause, which had excited a geed
deal of interest, was &led before Lord PITMILLY, as Ordi-
nary in the Outer House for the week, when Lord A. Hamil-
ton!s Counsel moved that it should be remitted to the Jury
Court. Mr. All Neill,_ as Counsel for Mr. Stevenson,: was
heard at considerable 'length; and the Counsel for Lord A.
Ilamilton having declined to reply, Lord Pitmilly found
the action relevant, and, ?emitted the same to the Jury Court,
before which we understand it will be tried in the course of the
ensuing term.—(Edinburg b COurant, Dec. 1.)

TJIE BISHOP OF DuniLtm.—By the last Re-
rrt of the Society for the Encouragement of Parochial Schools
in the Diocese of Durham it appears, the Lord Bishop of
Du RITAM has built seven School-Houses in different parts of
Weardale, (towards the cost of which the London Lead Com-
pany have liberally contributed 4001.), in which more than
.500 children are regularly taught. A permanent endowment
of them has been given by the same munificent hand ; but in
such a judicious manner, as may tend. rather to assist and sti-
mulate, than to supersede, the liberality of local contributors.
His Lordship has also purchased the sites, and commenced the
erection, of two Chapels in Weardale ; -where, in common with
the other inhabitants of that district,_ the children of these
schools will be enabled regularly to attend Divine Worship.
One of these chapels, situated:within the chapelry of St. John's,
will be endowed by the Bishop ; the other will become a chapel
of ease to the parish church of Stanhope.

•
satticisaCSooulliteiotOfrKiinngt'sheßeH„ighll Court of
Mr, John Lowrey, of North Shields, was last term admitted
apnleaAst,toarnndeyEoxf
Exchequer, and
Common
Chancery,
laced under the excise,
.to prevent
It is proposed in a Leeds paper, that the manufacture and
trade in rape oil should be P
the too common practice of adulteration with fish oil, which
spoils the cloth. It will be a curious circumstance if the con
sumers of this article should petition to he taxed in order to save
therm:Ayes from fraud and loss. • • - -