The Sun.
London, England, 1821-11-17 00:00:00

I3ILLINGGATE-DOCK-.

•
Yesterday the owners of a salt vessel, called
'the George, attended before the LORD MAYOR,
to prefer a complaint under the following.circurn-
stances against the officers wto superintend Bil-
lingsgate-dock : •
It appeared from the statement of the parties, that the com-
plainants were salt merchants, and that salt vessels have been
Accustomed for many years to land salt at Billingsgate-dock,
where fishing boats have alsO taken their station. Very great con-
tests have of late taken place-between the salt-men and the fisher_
men for the right of precedence in landing their goods; but the
fishermen, whose numbers exceed those of the salt-men, were.!
generally successful, and the victorious party exercised very !
little magnanimity towards the vanquished. The saltmen have
in consequence been obliged to land their carooes at neighbour-
ing wharfs, much to their inconvenience, and at a very great
expence. The proprietors of the vessel in question applied to
the Lord Mayor for his protection against this system. They laid
claim to right of landing 'salt at Billingsgate upon Idng esta-
blished precedents, and hoped that his Lordship would order
the officers to enforce their right of admission at the !dock. It
was complained,-that -when the Captain of the George endea-
voured to gain admission, the master of the fishing-boat Cat his
ropes and set him adrift twice. The vessel was twice.in great
danger ; had been obliged to lie out in the stream for four. ,lays,
and at every tide fishing-boats crowded in and filled up the docks.
The complainants were thus kept constantly at the expence of
demurrage, and At length obliged to land their cargoes under
other heavy expences.
The LORD MAYOR said the case was one of difficulty, as the
fishing-boats had an equal right to land'their cargoes, and when.
they were in the docks, it did not appear that they were obliged;
to leave them to make way for the salt vessels, until they should
deliver their cargoes. •
The proprietors said, that unless some effbetuaL•Fegulations
as to the turn were put in force, the right of the strongest would`
be the only right recognized
_The officer who has • the superintendence of. the Pocks, .said
that was the only law recognized at Billingsgate,.where those
who landed goods had not hesitated to pull up piles which had
been fixed by order of the CdiporfitiOo: for the regulation of the
market, as often as they were driven down, merely because-they
interfered With the convenience of the fishermen.
The Loup SiAYOR requested to see the act on which the
complainants founded their right. They were not• prepared
with it, and after some furtheidiscussion, it was agreed to ad-
journ the case to another day, when his Lordship would -lay
down some regulations on the subject.-

CAUTION TO COAL MERCHANTS.—SeveraI in-
formers from London are on an excursion into
the country, levying contributions on coal dealers,
by infOrmations against such as do not send out
perfect bushel measures with their coals, in com-
pliance with the Act of Parliament.—(Bath
Herald.)
EDINBURGH WHIGS.—The Glasgow Sentinel
lately stated that AITON, who made a con-
spicuous figure at the Whig Meeting in the Pan-
theon in Edinburgh, had determined to raise an
action against the Proprietors of the Scotsman
for a libel, in the account which they gave of that
day's proceedings. Accordingly, he sent, through
his'agent (we quote the Sentinel) " a note and a
fee to Mr. JEFFREY, Mr. CRANSTOUN, Mr. COCK-
BURN, Mr.-MONCRILFF, and Mr. MURRAY, re-
taining them as Counsel • for the prosecution.—
The whole of these eminent " Whig Lawyers,"
however, '(Mr. CRANSTOUN, much to his honour,
excepted) returned their fees, with an answer,
that they always considered themselves retained as
Counsel for the Scotsman! As this happened be-
fore it was possible that the conductors of the
Scotsman could have known of the action, the
answer could only mean, that these.. " IVhig
Lawyers" had a general retaining fee to stand in
defence of that Paper !"-(Glasgow herald.)
Yesterday, at a Petty Sessions held at the
Public Office, Palace-yard, the Ma,istrates com-
mitted John Mayo, of the parish of Tibberton,
servant to. Mr. John Price, of the same place,
farmer, to hard labour in the County_Gaol for
the space of a fortnight, for running away from
the service of his said master, and -endeavouring
to traduce his character
.by false and malicious
expressions.—(Trorcester Journal, Nov. 15.)