The Sun.
London, England, 1826-05-20 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

COURT OF COMMON PLEAS.—(Tma Day.) '
Before Me Lord Chief Juifice and a Special Joiri, • '
LIBEL.—HARRIETT- WILSON. - '
• FIVIIXIC V. STOCIICDAT.E.
This was an action fora libel published in the iilth rif "'
the Memoirs of Haniett
Serjeant VAUGUAN said that the plaintiff WAS an Attorney re-
sident in Dorsebthire, who brpught this action to redeem his 41-'
racter from foul imputations cast on it in the publication in "ques-
tion---and, in so doing,- he thought he could not do givater''':.
to his country. It was impossible for the Jury to live in this
country, and not to know that this Work was of so 4csia.
dalous and. abusive 'a nature, that every legal _ exertion ought ,
to be made to suppress it. Mr. Stoekdale himself had • ad.,
witted this; for, in his defence to an action brought to re-'
cover compensation for printing it, fie had intrusted hie
Counsel to say, , that the Jury ought not to support persons
who rendered themselves instrumental in putting forth .sueli
an infamous work. lie considered Mr. Stoiltdale i more
wicled character than A highwayman ;, for in every number
of these that he published, he inserted the names of those that were
to appear in the subsequent number, (as if holding forth a bill 0f„.6;
fare to the public,) in order to. draw.trioney out, of the pockets of.
the intended victims, many of, whom. would rather pay than
have their names appear in so ridiculous a light. The lib‘l'''l4l",
in question was introduced in, the 9th number of the Me-
moire of Harriett Wilson, thus ;—" An old .Irish cracked GeL 's-;;;;!
neral asked me if I knew Fisher, the lady-killer ?—" God forbid;'.
said I. He is just the man fur you,' replied the General, ' for he
i!saga
tphraateticavilel slshiaarbpbylaDwuyekre,
tar enda t wyiol put you
uhpe itsnaav le) lrya ngnayf nut' ilk;
the beauty of Devonshire, six feet tall, and bus black eyes, &c.'
She then went on state that she had written to him on profes-
sional business, and, had received an answer, requesting her to
call at his chambers after dark, he would then be alone, &c. She
then commented on this fabricated letter, designating it as an at-
tack on her chastity, and censuring the impudence of a dirty,
nasty, six feet high country lawyer, in attempting to make love to
her. Mr. Fisher was also introduced as having said to the Gtne-
ral that though he had heard a great deal about her, he did nut
think much of her, for she bad not a good point. The Learned
Serjoant said, that the,pluintiff had a large family and an amiable
wife, who could not avoid feeling affected by this publication,
and that he had thought proper to proceed in this mode of action
to give the defendant an opportunity of putting a justification on
record; his neglecting to do that was sufficient evidence of the
falsehood of the imputation.
Thomas Alitchelson deposed that he had pnrchased the number
containing the libel at Mr. Stockdale's.

John Marshall proved the marriage of the 'plaintiff in 1195 ;
he had read the libel in (petition, and thought it alluded to Mr.
Fisher ; there was no other person of the name iu that neigh-
bourhoOd.

Mr.. Sergeant Srataxxv. for the defendant, told the Jury that
they should leave out of their consideration every knowledge of ••-•
the book except what was contained in the number before them ;
it contained nothing of the nature of an imputation on the plain. .
tiff, for the person there represented was Charles Frederic Fisher,
whereas, the plaintiff on record was Hugh Evans Fisher, win) had
no right to appropriate to himself the description alluded to. If
he was a vain man, the honour of having been libelled in such good'
company as that ()Wok es and illarquisses should be gratifying to hint.
This foolish, wicked, vain woman imppoaed that it was impossible
for any person to see her without falling in love with her—and
though she herself was of the amp of womankind, yet she affect-
ed, with aristocratic pride, to despise country attornies--but
whether it was u drama, or taken from a romance, or alluded to
some Mr. Fisher that lived-in the times of the civil war, there •
was no evidence; but it was foolish in the plaintiff to suppose that
it alluded to himself; the Jury must have rend in the Spectator,
where some pragmatical num wrote down the Whole Duty of
Man, and applied Meilen* parts of it to every man in the parish.
This shelved the inclination of. mankind to form ideas of other
persons; and so will Mr. Fisher, who fancied, us he had been
6 feet high, and had black eyes, that none other could be
meant but himself. The Learned Sergeant here indulged in
a strain of ridiettle whereby he amused the Court fur a consider-
able time, and concluded by telling the Jury that they ought
not to encourage un attorney, whose object in coming forward was
to Speculate in damages on the character of the publication.
The CHIEF JUSTICIt said, that this was a titrtde, but. not a At
subject for ridicule ; it was for the Jury, who wero'married men,
to nay whether a publication, imputing to a man who had a wife •
and children, that he was in the habit of loving every pretty we- .
man he could see, but was too impotent to satisfy his passion,
should be let pass with impunity. •
The plaintiff was represented in that book in the manner which
an ancient poet repreaented a lewd woman—losaata non so-
' tiatit virin—independent of the injury to his moral character
it wait calculated to effect him profession:4l4; .for what family •
would employ an attorney to make marriage settlements if they
believed hint guilty of the conduct here imputed .to him.--
-The Learned Judge concluded an eloquent charge, by recommend•:
ing the Jury to give siich damages as would operate to check such
publications for the future. • - .
Verdict—Seven Hundred Pounds. damages.

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

liltOWN V. S43TITII.

Mr. ("ATRIM 'dated the cue. The plaintiff was the Carpenter
of the South Sea whaler the Zephyr, and agreed to go a voyage:.
in 1821, on condition of being paid one nintieth of the probe
arising from the sale of the oil. The ship returned in 1823, but
the plaintiff had received only a sum of money, by no means the
just account due to him.

The Lann.Clitar JUSTICt suggested the propriety of referring
the ease, which was acceded to.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

BETTINU.

The fallowing is s statement of the txhis up to tvelve o'clorit
this day, awl it will he seen that the alterations are very
portant :

mcnov.
tf to I agst The Omen! (tn.) II to 1 agst {eihnkspeltre
ACO 1 apt The /doslent (tn.) 14 to I a s Itl-IWrch
7to I agst Dervise (taken). 2I to IZI got Dorina
7 to I agar Rush's (takett) 24 to I agst Truth
II to I not 2A to 1,110 Forth'*
II to 1 opt Advance 2,fk to I agtit Pluto

6 to 5 agst Problem
9 to 1 itgst slignionatte
9 to 1 ugst Puritpluic
10 to 1 :tgitt Mutter(ly
11 to 1 apt Tear&

11 to 1 agat Breeze
17 to 1 agst Motel
20 to 1 agst
'2O to 1 apt Elizabeth
20 to 1 agat Do-peep
13 to 1 agst Crusader
17 to 1 agst Fanny
22 to I agst

NT. L
4 to 1 ant Belzoni (taken)
6 to 1 agzt ilettlantite (taken)
11 to 1 apt Cslypso

HAY MARKETS-4TH= D4or.), •
(At per load of 80 trusses.)
ST. lit Mr./N.—Coarse heavy Lowland Meadow nay, new
11/. 10e. to St 10e. ; fine Upland Meadow and nye Gram Hay;
8/. 10s. to N. Os. ; Clover Huy, M. 10s. to 6/. 10%; Oat Straw
11. 14s. to 1!. lbs. ; Wheat Straw, 11, 18.. to 2/.2r.
ply good, and trade lull, but no alteration in prim..
SAI MI —Gum heavy Lowland
.Meadow Hay, from
21. 10s. to 8!. Ms. ; flue Upland Meadow and Dye Grass Hay,
8/. 10s. to 4/. Ws.; CloVer Hay, generally, 81. 6s, to 4!. 10a.
extraordinary tine, 61. ; Oat Straw, 1/. Ilta. to 1!. lb*, ; Wheat
Straw, U. lbs. to U. 10s. Meadow Hay, 10.. and Clovvr
Hay from M. to Os. per load higher ; Straw from Va. to So, per.
load lower than on Thursday.

COVENT-GARDEN MARKET.—(Tnts I)AY.)
Potatoes, from 3s. to 7s. per cwt., which is about from ls. 101
to 4s. Od. per Winchester bushel ; Cabbages, frtim Is. to 2s.
Cauliflowers, from 12s. to 40s. per dozen heads; llorse-radialt:
from 2s. to 4s. ; forced Asparagus, from 2.. to 4s. ;natural
paragus, from 4s. to 10s. ; Brocoli, from IL to Ss. ; and Ce-
lery, front la. 6d. to 2s. 6d. per bundle; Colewurts or Gretna,
from la. ad. to 24.04.; Young Onions, from 10. to Ss. -; and
Leeks, from tit So. Od. per dozen bunches ; Bpinage, from
10d. to le. 6d. ; Green Gooseberries, be. to Is. ; Applto,
common uoc,. fro" 2a. 6d. to tea. Od. ; and choice eating AP-
phst, from IL Od. to lia. 04. per half sievo--about a third of
bushel ; Radishes, front Sd. to' ,6d. per dozen banda3
sound sweet Oranges, frinn 6g, 0d; 40 149. Od. ; and :.
mons, from
.611. Od. to lbs. Od. per 100—or the former front
Si. Os. to 41. lbs., the latter from 31.,130. to 4/. 10s, per.
of two bOxett; Spanish Chestnuts, from 98. to 12s.
Chesnuto, from bit.• to 10a. ; Spanish, ihtale Nuts :from 44.2 n
,1
; and French Walnuts, from bs. to 10s. par perk; "rw-
Po
is. O
tatoets fflo. rom
6d l
stood 20
oung. Od.
T per Pos
undfrom ; Young' TI, per,
d. to ;a.
yiCA
bunch ; Coss I.ettucee, from. la. to Ssp ..
6d. ; , tem7:4
in chests are considerably dearer, but expected .
the toer causiteowy)
anti most kinds of V*Fulahles, cheaper *wow carrot*, Old
than on this day su'zunglit ; Or OtOt tit
Onions, and Old Turnips, appear to l+o 1,0 4'o"
'lawn. Supply good, and to* 1w