The Sun.
London, England, 1828-08-20 00:00:00

MR. DAWSON.

PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE.
DUBLIN, AUG. 16.—The speeches delivered at
the dinner given by the Ascendancy to Mr. Moore
en Thursday, and the proceedings at the Derry
dinner on the 12th, continue to occupy the undivided
attention of the Dublin public. It would be very
difficult, if not impossible, to describe the state of
Popular feeling which has been induced by these
harangues. It is considered, in point of fact, that
they have accelerated a crisis which every sensible
fNan foresaw, but which few could have imagined to
eso near. The avowal of Mr. George Dawson,—
kclr it amounts to this—in favour of emancipation,
"as produced an explosion of what they call the
4 Protestant" opinion in Dublin, as well as in the
ttOnitry, greater by far than that created on Mr.
kgrawnlow's adhesion to the Liberal side. Mr.
„i/awson was considered as the most eloquent
;:ikrapion of the Ascendancy,--falsely, I always
s'leught, for in the most violent of his speeches,
there Was generally a saving clause, there was ge-
hlerallY left a locus pecuitenticc, of which it was up-
erarent to those who paid something more than a
-uhrs°rY attention, he had resolved, at some fitting
°+-Pertunity, to avail himself. Mr. Brownlow de-
lerteed the faction, when he was enabled to appre-
l§t the machinery with which they worked, at the
i4vestigation into the conduct of the Orange Sheriffs,
the case of the assault on Lord Wellesley at the
4reatre. He had also, at this period, an opportunity
4, seeing their object and designs; and not being
t4tutigled by the considerations of place, or personal
h:asideration, he deserted the junto as a mere selfish
efederation. But Mr. Dawson deserts them now,
,h what appears the very crisis of their fate, when
ito'Y were making a great effort, when they calcu-
'll upon the support at least of a part of the Go-
pernment, and of the most poWerful and influential
44111; and just after the return of Mr. O'Connell for
ke, County of Clare, be passes from the Orange
I,Plia,s and arranges himself with the Liberals. Yon
WiftifsJkadge, on perusing his excellent speech at Derry,
hie ;:n You will find in the Dublin papers, whether
sile'eascals were sufficient. We think they are un-
40Werable ; that is to say, those persons in Ireland
agree with the Times in opinion on the absolute
'tee •
sity of Emancipation, hail the accession. of
aqd
Nit,. ,
...open Dawson to the cause vith ardour
Thtlidelight. Far different, however, is the treat-
elle.t be has already receired, and is still likely to
„canter, from the adversaries of your principles,
(41
the same time the adversaries of peace
13e•te"‘nd• This treatment was partly exhibited in
by 4Y, in the violence with which he was received
an, Portion of his own constituents. It required, I
hi ofwormed by a gentleman who -.vas present, all
pornt 41 steadiness of purpose and manliness of de-
the
cleat to meet, and in a certain extent to subdue,
nezioaMour with which he was assailed. His con-
attack' John Claudio Beresford, the Alderman,
Net ofed him strenuously, and it demanded all the
pets" Sir George Hill to keep the peace. Several
never Were ejected from the room, and there were
da: longer faces in Derry than appeared the next
facjti:Mcmg the snore selfish and dependent of the
the •11. They regarded Mr. Dawson 's defection as
*ton ;:glial of the desertion of the Duke of 'Welling-
a.. geiii mtneelf'n ahnodldiitnigs really difficult to conceive that
the high office of Secretary to
commit
Board of which the Duke is the head, should
untildnlit himself So entirely as he did without some
how-
with will
everataeding with his Grace. This matter, how-
speedily be ascertained. Either he acted
0:Il? the cognizance of the head of the Government,
couirbe did not. If he did not, he will be dis-
sust:e
i w
aimed, and must resign : if he did, he will be
doebtne
and then there can exist no longer any
d,
he t, of the Duke's dispositions. This appears to
view generally taken of the matter here, and
11',2.mkkine it will be found not altogether incorrect.—
nne,.

, !119n
111/I.TH.On Sunday, the 17th int,
'etburY) Gloucestershire, Mrs. Jacob Wood, of asta
son. at

SUMMER ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

• • r 4

LIBEL.
THE KIN(:, V. V. ILLIAU HENAN- HALPIN.

Mr. PHILLPOTTS .opened the. pleadii'gs.
Mr. CA97PBE!,I, (;with. whom was. also 'Mr. C.
PHILLii.Ps) stated the case. Te! prosecutor was
Mr. Samuel Young Griffith, a gentleMah of highre-
spectability, the proprietor of the Cheltenham Chro-
nicle, and the author of a valuable and useful work
called the Cheltenham Guide, containing an account
of the antiquities and rise of Cheltenham, from the
earliest period to its present state of wealth and
splendour. the defendaitt wits Mr. William Henry
Halpin, who had been in the employ of the pt&-
secutor, Mr.,Griffith, as an assistant in the manage-
ment of the Cheltenliain Chronicle. He (Mr. Camp--
bell) should , mention it as an illustration of this
lilsel, that the prosecutor had formely been em-
ployed as the secretary of a Mr. Webb, a Man
of eccentric habits, whom the Jury had possibly
heard of, and who went about through the
country seeking for objects of distress whom he
might relieve. Shortly after that period the prose-
cutor suCceeded hs tattler in the proprietorship of
the Cheltenham Chronicle, and the defendant entered
his employ, and continued in it until his conduct ren-
dered it necessary that that connexion should be
dissolved. The Learned Counsel would not state
the reason of his leaving the service of the prose-
enteri but the defendant on that occasion said that
he should have OceaSion to repent it, and he was as
good as his word, for it would appear that he must
have at that time plotted the publication of one Of
the most atrocious libels that ever disgraced the
pen of man. The defendant was the author of a
pamphlet which he (Mr. Campbell) held in his
hand, entitled" The Llfe and Adventures of James
Webb, the noted Philanthropist; together with the
birth, parentage, education, and life of his equally
notcrrious Secretary, detailing their most extraordi-
nary adventures at different places, collected from
the manuscripts of the late Miles Watkins." 14e
(Mr. Campbell) should satisfy his Learned Friend
(Mr. Curwood) that the defendant was the author
of this publication, and that it was published by him
In the county of Gloucester. He should prove also
that in order to stimulate public curiosity, the de-
fendant had advertised the book in a Cheltenham
paper, and for the insertion of the advertisement
had paid 10s., and subsequently had paid for a
paragraph, descriptive of the work forthcoming
from the press, stating that it would be positively
published in the course of the ensuing week.—
It was impossible for any one to open the pamphlet
at any page of it without witnessing libels of the
most scandalous nature. the prosecutor's name
was Samuel Young Griffith : in this book he was
described as " Young Zamiel Gripeall." The
Learned Counsel then proceeded to read several
passages of the pamphlet, giving a most odious de-
scription of the person of the prosecutor, and ascrib-
ing to him, from the earliest age, cunning, cruelty,
dishonesty, selfishness, and the most odious pro-
pensities which degrade human nature.
John Duncombe, the younger, a printer and
publisher, living in Queen-street, Holborn, received
in the course of last summer, a manuscript to print,
concerning Mr. Webb, the philanthropist. I know
_Mr. Wm. Henry Halpin; he brought me the manu-
script, and desired me to print 500 copies. I saw
him several times while the work was in the press;
he came to know how the work was going on.—
Every proof-sheet was corrected by Mr. Halpin.
had direction from him to send 100 copies to Mr.
Williams, a bookseller, at Cheltenham; 50 to Bet-
tison, 50 to Weller, 25 to Harper, arid 12 to Miss
Roberts. Three of these persons are, I know,
booksellers at Cheltenham. I received also another
list of persons to whom copies were to be sent, Mr.
Neyler, of the Plough, and Mr. Pruen. Mr. Ney-
ler, I have since heard, is Mr. Griffith's father-in-
law. Another copy was also sent to Mr. Nicholls.
After I had sent the parcel to Mr. Prince, Mr. Hal-
pin called and said he would take them, as he un-
derstood from his attorney it was no libel, as no one
could come forward and say they were the parties..
He wished to have a print of the principal person in
the book, Young Zamiel.
Mr. Samuel Young Griffith said—l am now the
proprietor of the Cheltenham Chronicle, and have
been so about ten years. I was secretary to Mr.
James Webb in 1814: I had a salary from him of
2504 per annum. I was in his employ about 12
months. I have resided in Cheltenham ever since
1818. Mr. Halpin was employed by me to assist in
conducting the paper. Me ceased to be in my em-
ployment about 15 months ago; he was so dissi-
pated I could not keep him. I could not discharge.
him, as he had en agreement. The period of his
engagement is not yet expired, but he said he would
not stay with me if I did not give him a larger sa-
lary. He wanted a higher salary, but I refused, and
he said I should repent it.
Cross-examined—l first became acquainted with
Mr. Webb in the latter part of 1813. He was a very
liberal man. About 6001. or 7001. came into ray hands
to distribute in charity. I never received a larger
sum at Dover. I never followed Mr. Webb in com-
pany with a Mr. Miles Watkins. I know Mr. Miles
Watkins. I deny that I ever received a large sum
from Mr. Webb. Mr. Webb was a strong-minded
man. He was not an idiot. I never heard of the
affair at Brighton, although I am the proprietor of
a newspaper. I never heard of the way in which
this great philanthropist ended his career. I parted
with him because he was going on the Continent—
I followed him with a trunk to Calais, by his direc-
tion. He treated me very kindly to the last. I
have seen Miles Watkins at Dover, but not been in
his company. I never slept in the same room with
him. 1 have seen a Mr. Sherman, an attorney in
London. Never did any business against me. I
never heard he was employed to frame a bill of in-
dictment against myself.
Re-examined-1 never received a single shilling of
Mr. Webb on my own account. He never made
any complaint of me that 1 know of. Shortly be-
fore Mr. Halpin came into my employment, I re-
ceived a letter from him, which was addressed to
my deceased brother begging to be employed in the
most humble way. I then took him into my em-
ploy, and supplied him with clothes before he could
appear. He was in so destitute a condition, that the
printers, thinking he was a journeyman printer in
distress, were going to relieve him. I never asked
him to return.

Mr. Henry Sissons, a druggist, at Cheltenham,
saw Halpin since the publication of his book, and
told him, that since he had been in London a pub-
lication had appeared at Cheltenham, of which he
was supposed to be the author; that if he was the
anther, it was a most disgraceful publication, and,
whoever the author was, he ought riot to be ad-
mitted into civilized society. He said, whoever was
the author he had sufficient motives for writing
the book.
Mr. CußwooD then proceeded to address the Jury
for the defendant. In doing so he felt considerable
difficulty, as the case weighed heavily on his feelings;
he was totally unacquainted with either of the par-
ties, and in the discharge of his duties spoke only
as he Was instructed. lf, by the line of defence he
had adopted he was wrong, the fault must fall on
those who bad instructed him. He was wining to
admit that if there was no truth ix the contents of
this pamphlet, it was a very bad libel indeed ; but
whatever might be the result of the verdict, he
thought Mr. Griffith would have but little to pride
himself on. Why did he not file a criminal in-
formation, when the defendant would have been
called on to answer for the charges he had made ?
Fortunately, the law of libel was now altered to
what it had been : it was now competent to the
Jury to take the whole matter into their considera-
tion ; and if they thought the defendant had not
been actuated by malicious motives, they were bound
to acquit him. The law of libel was net of English
growth : it was not suited to the genius or freedom
of England, but was imported from the civil law of
Rome at the worst period of its history. The
Learned Counsel then proceeded to comment on the

evidence for the prosecution, particularly on that of
Mr. Griffith, and concluded by contending that the
defendant Was,not to Name liecauge he could not
prove the troth of the chargi.• opifit the prosecutor',
Es the prosecutor had, by the,Course he ho 4; adOpted;
precluded him from availing himself of the testimony
which. he • .would, under any other cireurtidttices,
have produced.
Mr. lit snY then called Miles Watkins, who said,
I have Mr. Sarond Young Griffith some
years. I met him, your Piceadiffy,,
1814. I'll say nothing but the truth. Mr.
went and hired two saddle horses. Mr. Webb was
then out of. London, and I went with Mr. Griffith
after him down to Dover. We went to Wright's
Hotel, your Honour. Mr. Griffith and I slept there
about a quarter ,6fan houri in the same bed, and the
chamber-maid came.
, interrupted ~• , •
Mr. Justice GASELtE here Ole
nation, expresSing his opinion that such evidence
Was irreleVant:
„ • .
Mr. ttilr.-!;ELL. thought it his duty to say a few
worgs to the Jury upon a (16ei'.'.2e the most infamous
that had ever yet been offered. It had been ,44,id'
that the prosecutor should have brought an action.
Why he had brought an action, and what was the
result ? Why, the most abject apology, and the
disclosure of the name of the author. Under such
circumstances, nothing tarnairicd but to bring that
author to cpndign punishment ; and he (Mr; Cow-
bell) must regret that the pillory was abolished as
a punishment for libel ; but it was some consolation
to remember that the tread-mill still remained.

Mr. Justice GASELEE having shortly summed up,
The Jury returned a verdict of Guilty.
John Hunt was indicted, charged with commit-
ting a rape on the body of Ruth Phelps, an idiot,
on the 4th of August last, in a field at Copse-grove,
farm, near Bisley.
Jacob Phelps had a sister named Ruth Phelps,
who had been an idiot from her birth. She was
now 22 years old, and could hear and speak a few
words, so as to ask for meat and drink, and call for
her father and mother. She laughed sometimes,
but never cried when ill-used. She did not know
the difference between the seasons, but knew her
father and mother. The witness on the 4th of Au-
gust saw her coming out of a wood near Lydyard-
park, followed by the prisoner. She had been there
with some of her female neighbours to get wood.
She first went into the field where the witness was
mowing, and then into another to which the pri-
soner followed her. Seeing him leading his sister
by the hand, witness went, after them, and saw them.
together in the field. The witness then described
the situation of the prisoner and his sister in such a
way as fully established the charge against the pri-
soner. He said he did not think his sister knew
right from wrong.
Jane Phelps, the mother of the idiot and the last
witness, said, she knew her daughter to complain of
the boys who sometimes ill-used her, and she
thought she was sensible of pain and pleasure.
On being called on for his defence the prisoner
said he had not completed the offence when the
brother disturbed them, and that the girl had so-
licited him.
Mr. Baron VAUGUAN felt himself bound to say
that he could not consider this poor girl what the law
called an idiot. There could be no doubt she was
as deficient in intellect as any one could be falling
under the denomination of any thing short of an
idiot; but still as she was, it appeared, susceptible
of pleasure and pain, it would be too much to take
away a man's life on a charge of his having'used vio-
lence, and committed those acts which the law re-
quired to have proved to establish such a charge.
Under the direction of the Learned Judge the Jury
acquitted the prisoner.
The prisoner, it appeared, had been tried in 1818
for a similar offence, with two others.

William Wilcox Flower was indicted for stealing
two pigs, the property of Robert Furber ; a second
indictment charged him with receiving the same,
knowing them to have been stolen.
The Jury found the prisoner Guilty, and he was
sentenced to seven years' transportation.
William 'Ferrel, aged 33, was indicted, charged
with stealing a black gelding, the property of Samuel
Smith, from the parish of Buckland, in this county.

The prisoner, in his defence, said he had been em-
ployed by a man to lead the horses, and had been
paid 2s. for the job.--Guilty.
Mr. Baron VAUGHAN, in desiring sentence of
death to be recorded, told the prisoner that he might
consider himself very fortunate to escape by leaning
the country for life.

Jane Walker was indicted for stealing a pound of
bacon, the property of James Barton. Guilty--
One month's imprisonment.
The trials of the prisoners concluded with this
case, and

Mr. Baron VAUGHAN proceeded to take Common
Jury causes, with a view to assist Mr. Justice
GASELEE.

On Thursday evening last, a gentleman who
had accompanied some ladies to the Haymarket Theatre,
left them, and shortly after returning to the box, fell forward
insensible. This, conjoined to a powerful smell of lauda-
num, aroused suspicion. lie was conveyed to a neighbour-
ing tavern, and Mr. TUCKER, surgeon, of John-street,
Adelphi, who was in the theatre at the time, attended. On
searching his pockets, a phial, labelled, was discovered.—
The jaw was firmly clinched, and recourse was instantly
hail to large effusions of cold water, which after some time
enabled Mr. TircEErt to get down a solution of sulphate of
zinc : vomiting followed, and the young gentleman was
conveyed to his lodgings, in King-street, Soho, where be
was finally saved from the death which awaited him. The
quantity of zinc, given in drachm doses, amounted in two
hours to five drachms, which did not, however, produce
protracted vomiting.
GENEROSITY OF THE IRISH CHARACTER.
—ln consequence of the part taken by the peasantry in
the Clare Election, several of the small gentry all along the
line, from O'Brien's Bridge to BroadfOrd, refused giving
the usual employment to the people—but when the harvest
set in they were glad to pull in their horns. The work-
men, hOwever, resolved on paying them in kind, and would
not come without an advance of wages. This was all con-
fusion—but a Protestant Gentleman, active during the
Election for the return of Mr. O'CONNELL, seeing a large
field of wheat, belonging to another Protestant gentleman,
in imminent danger, hinted to some influential among the
people, the hardship of allowing the field of corn to he lost.
On which, although the owner had supported Mr. VESEY
FITZGERALD, the hint went round, and by two o'clock
next day the entire field, consisting of several acres, was
cut down, bound, and bundled into stukes, independent of
the weather. To accomplish this, and ten-fold more if ne-
cessary, the people of the three surrounding parishes were
seen moving at four o'clock in the morning, a number of
them mounted with their wives behind them to hind, and
of three or four thousand who assembled, several groups
reached the place preceded by fiddlers, pipers,, &c. This
circumstance altogether deserves a ward.— Tipperary
Free Press.

A VISIT TO THE ToMB OF BURNS.—I
visited the tomb of Bums in the yard of the old church
here on the 27th July. If it had not been often noticed
before, I should endeavour to describe it. I was disap-
pointed with its appearance. It is heavy and inelegant,
and unworthy of the poet. His remains were removed to
their present position front another corner of the church-
yard. The only inscription on the monument is the name
of BURNS. This is simple and expressive, and in better
taste than the rest of this poor memorial. The figure of
the Poet is considered by some to be a fair resemblance,
but by otters it is found great fault with. Sir WALTER
Scerir, who has visited the tomb more than once, is said.
to have remarked that the face was more like his own than
BU RNS'S ; and it certainly reminds us of some of the ep-
graved portraits of the living bard. A book is kept at
the tomb for a list of the visitors. I turned over its pages,
hit there were no very celebrated names. I must ac-
knowledge, however, that I took but a casual. glance ; and
I hear that few persons of rank, talent, or celebrity, have
ever passed through Dumfries without paying a tribute of
respect to the tom)) of BURNS, and calling upon his amia-
ble widow. She is now at Edinburgh, or I should have
had the pleasure of seeing her. she mingles here in the
best society, and is much respected for her genuine kind-
ness of heart, and simple and unpretending manners. Her
house (in which the poet died) is neat and comfortable ;
and the street in which she resides was named after her
celebrated husband the day that the foundation-stone of his
monument was laid.—Edinburgh Evening Post.

FASHIONABLE INTELLIGENCE.

CHANGES.

The Duke of Devonshire, from Chiswick, to Devon-
shirt 'loLse : Marchioness Dowager of Salisbury, for Gor-
hatubirrY, an, a visit the Earl and Countess of Verulani ;
Ear:l Countess De la, Warr, tor 134.it'shrst Park, near
East
.Grinstead ; Earl Dudley, for Roeliamiterf;
Cliedii4Yel.d, at Chesterfield House, South Audley-street,
from Brighton ; at! Somers, at Thomas's Hotel, from
the Continent ; Mr. Giles, far St; 41bans ; Col. Vabriel,
in EatpsoßmagA; silArisor.rt.F;
Forsyth,
Thonia:i Ltut,nd,
Colonel flolt, t; t Sir 'William Johnson, Bart.
Lair:
eor i rfds r;
Windlesham
Rev..,John Tydd Moore, at
Piccadilly,
Hforuosme,
iin/lnErvisrses7aant;iel,
for Johnson Hall,
the Hyele Park Hotel, from Laniherlon Park, Queen's
County; Mrs. and the Misses Stanley, from Clii4erland-
street, Portman-square, for Coburg House, Bognor ; Ictf.•
and Mts. Mason, in Dover-street, from their seat in
Suttey; Lord St: Vincent, at Ellis's
,Hotel, from Mulls-
gat,-;; C'eniYrrit the London Hotel, Albemarle-
street, from Paris; J. tisl, {Esq: at ditto, from Ire-
land ; Mr. and Mri. Rave St. Jameis-street, from
their seat in Surrey ; Lady Turner, rits:": fairsittyt, aftd
Miss Thompson, at the Pulteney Hotel, Albertail-EVeet,
fro're their seat in Yorkshire; Captain Barton, from ditto,
for the Centi'n',.int ;, Major Burdett and Major Halford, at
Kirkham's Hotel, Loy er Brook-street, from the Continent;
Mr. and Mrs. Featherston, iron tha ,British Hotel, Jer-
myn-street, for their seat in SornersetsilW J. bane, Esq.
M.P. from his house, Great George-st.,Westminste;,
seat, Wormsley, Oxfordshire ; Viscount Maynard, for his.
deari, Easton, E,sex ; Captain Vernon, from the Bath
Hothei, Agilfgton,street, for the Continent; Captain and
Mrs. 3laiadason, et tlloarcs Hotel, Lower Brook and
Davies-Streets, from the lilerS!,' Mrs. Robinson, from
ditto, for Cheltenham ; Colonel King, LV:111 clittcry for the
Continent.