The Sun.
London, England, 1817-11-26 00:00:00

TYPHUS FEVER.

MANSION-HOUSE.— Colonel RIDDELL, of the
East-India Company's service, yesterday waited
upon the Loßn MAYOR, to inform him that he had
a sovereign remedy for the Typhus Fever, which
seemed to he prevalent in the Metropolis.
The LORD MAYoR saki he was very happy to
hear it, and begged the Colonel would not delay
so important a communication.

Colonel RIDDELL said he applied to his Lord-
ship in order to have his services accepted as soon
ai.possible. The papers, which stated that his
Lordship presided at the truly national meeting,
assembled to avert a formidable calamity, directed
him to the Mansion-house, as the most proper
place to subMit the means of cure.
The Loan MAvoa.—The community are obliged
to you, but lam nut a judge of physic. If it were
wine you had to propose, I could talk to you on
the quality ; but I don't think physic ever cost
me a pound, nor did its composition ever cost me
a thought ; so that I am one of the worst persons
to apply to on the subject of medicine.
Colonel will pledge myself to cure
the fever in a very short time, and shall render it,
in cases where the symptoms are more serious
than usual, as harmless as a lamb. if Thad your
authority for the introduction of my prescription,
it would soon be found that the contagion would
vanish. •

Tile Lora) Alrivoß.—How can it be imagined
that I would advise the use of any particular mode
of treatment, when I declare myself totally igno-
rant:of the subject I You would, I am sure, be
attended to by the faculty, if your medicine seemed
to be so complete a specific.
Colonel Ridddl.—The faculty! They wouldn't
believe me if I was to cure a whole hospital.
The LORD ALvVon.—lf the physicians are so
hard to be pleased, I'd have you advertise in the
Papers.

The Colonel went away without mentioning
his specific, or saying that he would follow the
advice just given to him.

HYDROPHOBIA.

A SIMPLE THOUGH INFALLIBLE REMEDY FOR TH3

BITE OF A MAD DOG.
(From a Provincial Paper.)
Take three yolks of hen's eggs, and oil olive as
much as will fill three half egg shells ; put this
together into a frying pan, on a gentle fire; by
continually stirring it with a knife, mix it well
together, • and continue doing this till it turns
to a conserve or thick jelly, which, when
made, will fill a large tea-cup. The manner
of using it is as follows :—He who is bitten
must take (the sooner the better after the bite,
the effect of the remedy being uncertain if
not applied within nine (lays) the above-mention-
ed doses two successive days, after he has
fasted six hours, abstaining. even from drink, which
he likewise m►►st do for six hours after he has
taken it. When the patient has a wound, the
wound must be scratched open twice a day with a
pen of fire-wood for nine successive days, and
every time the wound must be dressed with some
of the same remedy. He who o►►ly has played with
and caressed such a dog, or has been licked by the
same, takes (for precaution's sake) only the
above-mentiiined dose for one time.

—To an animal, of what kind soever, that is bit-
ten, must be given, two successive days, a double
portion of the same remedy ; and neither meat
nor drink six hours before nor six hours after.
could adduce several instances of the singular
efficacy of this simple remedy, but shall content
myself with one. In June 1770, a physician in
Groningen was bitten by a small grey-hound in
One of his fingers, so e.everely, that the wound
bled very much ; immediately after the dog bit
two cats ; still there was not the least suspicion
that the dog-was mad, as nothing extraordinary
appeared, and the wound was only dressed up
with a linen rag. He ate and drank the whole
day as usual. The next morning the dog was
missing. Not long after a matt came to the honse,
saying, the dog, which he had seen ahont the
distance of three miles, must certainly be mad,
for be had bitten several dogs, and a sheep
which was in the fields. The confidence Which
the physician had- in this remedy prevented any
great .alarm. He took the remedy, according to
the prescription, and by the mercy of God was
preserVed from every ill consequence. Likewise
the dogs which were bitten, and to whom this
remedy was given, showed no symptoms of mad-
ness, and remained free from every ill effect. But the
sheep, which had not taken the remedy, turned
mad. The singular effect which this remedy had
unto two other dogs that had been bitten, was,
that they both sweated all over their bodics to
such a degree that the inside of their kennels was
stained with it, and adhered so much to the walls,
that great labour was necessary in order to scrub
it off: The stench was so strong, that a person
could remain in the room where the dogs were for
but a short time ; and almost all their hair fell
off. They were both saved by this prescription.-

SHOCKING MYSTERIOUS OCCURRENCE.
Be-
tween four and five o'clock on Tuesday morning,
the watchman on duty in the West Bow, Edin-
burghi- was alarmed by hearing some person
groaning. Imagining the groans were uttered
by some person in a state of intoxication, he
proceeded to search a stair from which the dis-
tressing sounds appeared to proceed, and through
a window discovered a man lying, apparently
senseless, in a drain between the front land and
the roof of a back house. The watch Man pro-
cured assistance, hut in order to come at the ob-
ject of their solicitude, it was found necessary to
take out the window frame. The unfortunate suf-
ferer was immediately borne to the Police Office.
Medical assistance was obtained, but it proved
of no avail, for he expiled in a few moments. How
the deceased came in the situation where lie was
found, remains yet to be ascertained. It is impos-
sible he could have fallen from,a window in the stair,
as the largest square in any of theM is only 12 inches
by 7. A man, a woman, and a lad (inmates of
the house where the deceased lodged) are in cus-
tody under very suspicious circumstances ; but as
a precognition is going on before the Sheriff, we
abstain from any farther remark. The name of
the unfortunate man is Thomas Archibald ; he had
been &soldier, and enjoyed A pension.

LAW INTEL LIGENCA

COURT OF CHANCERY, Nov. 25.

WILLIAMS V. ISTEAD AND THE COMMISSIONERS

FOR THE SALE OF THE LAND-TPX.

In our report yesterday, we mentioned the
grounds on which the present application was
made to. his Lordship, in consequence of the bill
filed by the plaintiff against the Commissioners
appointed by Parliament for the Redemption of
the L nd Tax. The following is a general out-
line of the pleadings on both sides.:—
Mr. TaowEir, Counsel for the plaintiff, stated
the following to be the circumstances of the
ease :—The Commissioners for the Land-Tax
gave public notice. that they were disposed,
,ac-
cording to Act of Parliament, to sell the Tax of a
quantity of land in the Borough of IVeym,utth and
Melcombe Regis. In consequence of this inri-
mation, which was given by them in the most
public manner, Mr. Stewart, one of the Commis-
sioners, sent in a proposal to purchase, and, as tl e
Act required, he caused a copy of ltis, proposal to
he fixed upon the door of the church or -Melcombe
Regis. The plaintiff sent also to the Commis-
sioners a proposal to purchase, which, in com-
pliance with the provisions of the Act, was sealed
and sent in withiu the limited period of 14 days,
and the offer which lie made exceeded that of Ich.
Stewart by so much as 60 per cent. A Mr. Is-
tead subsequently sent in sealed proposals of a
different nature, in which tie offered to the Con
missioners one per cent. more than any other per-
son proposed to give for the Tax. This proposal
the Commissioners thought themselves bound to
accept, but, before they did so, they referred it
to the Law Officers of the Crown, as it differed
so much from the forms which were prescribed by
the Act. The Law Officers were of opinion,
however, that the offer was legal in every view,
and it being .the highest one, the Commissioners
were bound to complete the con, tact. The plain-
tiff considered the proposal of Mr. lstead ex-
pressly !_ontrary to the letter as well as to the spirit
of the Act; for the object of the Legislature in re-
quiring that sealed proposals should be sent in, and
that these proposals should not he communicated
to any of the hinders until the 14 &Sys had ex-
pired, were entirely defeated by !stead. He there-
fore filed a bill to compel the Commissioners to a
specific performance of the contract, and it was
contended for him, that he ought to be put ex-
actly in Istead's place, who could not be looked
'upon by the Court in any other capacity titan that
'Of a trustee.

The case, as we stated yesterday, was originally
heard before the Vice-Chancellor, who, on con-
sidering the demurrer, was decidedly of opinion
the Court of Chancery l:. ad no jurisdiction. In
support of this judgment, the SOLICITOR•GEN6..
RAL contended that the Court could not interfere,
inasmuch as the application came before them in
the shape of a Madamus, calling on the Commis.
sioners to complete a performance of a contract,
which as public officers, they were not liable to be
called on to do. The question was one belonging
to the revenue, and of course should have beets
discussed before the Barons of the Exchequer, but
on no account in the Chancery Court. A party
was surely bound to make out his right in a Court
of Law, before he ever applied for relief to a Court
of Equity. There were cases• where the Court
could enforce the performance of specific agree-
ments, but still before they did so, it must be
shewn that the subject matter of the case
was such that a Court of Law ,had no •juris-
diction. The Commissioners acted as agents of
the Crown, and nothing could be more clear
than that an action, if brought, must be against
the principal, for it never could be sustained
against theagent. The Commissioners thought that
Istead had given the highest offer, and they were
therefore bound to accept his offer, according to
the principle laid down in the Act. They acted
with the utmost possible caution, . and were cer-
tainly blameworthy in no respect whatever, for
Parliament, in passing the Act, surely meant that
the most money was to be made that could be
made. In the 42d of the King, cap. 116, sect.
154, every person wishing to purchase was to give
in a schedule to two Commissioners of what they
intended to purchase, specifying also the price
they chose to give ; but if within fourteen days a
higher offer was made, the Commissioners were
bound to accept it. The decision given by Sir
Thomas Clarke, late Master of the Rolls, had
settled this point, and the case of General Bur-
goyne was equally
:conclusive, for there Lord
Thoriow had declared that the bill raised against
the General could not be sustained, inasmuch as
he acted solely as the responsible agent of Govern-
ment. After quoting a variety of similar cases,
the Learned Gentleman concluded by expressing
his conviction, that the decision given by the Vice-•
Chancellor, after the maturest deliberation on the
part of his Honour, would be confirmed.
Sir. S. Rossi Lest, on the other hand, contended,
that certainly the appeal had been very properly
brought, as the demurer, in his humble opinion,
ought not to be allowed. It was a question cer-
tainly of the highest public importance to have
settled, whether Commissioners appointed by Go-
vernment were or were not answerable for their
conduct, or whether they could or could not
.de-
part from the letter of- the Act of
which minimised their appointment. Almost all
sales made by Government, us well as coutrAct,,
were done by private and sealed biddings. It N%as
unnecessary to go into the nature of those bid-
dings, as they were so well known, but admitting
for a moment that the Commissioners were not
.responsible as individuals for this Act, still Istead
was responsible to the plaintiff, as he had notice
of his having ,had the first contract (for surely the
certificate being. granted proved that a contract
had . been , entered into), and besides, the Com-
rnissiosierf were to be considered as trustees for
the polskioS: notaltogether as agents for the Crown,
and of course responsible for the loss, which, if any
were sustained, must-fall on them. Suppose a per-
son had agreed to sell an estate to A, and afterwards
sold it to B, he having nonce of the former con-
tract with A, would not a Court of Equity oblige
B to re-assign to A so much for the equity of the
plaintiff's case ? With respect to this not being
the proper Court, he was ready to admit that
questions of revenue more properly came within
the decision of the Barons, but the present was a

-o:f:e'cint.iti'Ort Of evilly, Anti Lis 'Lordship knew
tee's 01,0 'flatly cases to a similar nature daily carne
hetore hfin. One recently decided by the Court
'conic clw.e to the point, and at once did -sway the
objeeiloo of his Learned• Friend the Nolicittir-
G'eneral. The case he alluded to Was well known,
find as that in Which the -Commissioners of
:Ttiinsports ("aimed a share of some rite-money,
becau•e a'trinspOrt in their service had been pre-
sent IlL'e prizes were taken. 'lstead's
offf,r was certainly contrary to the •pOlicy :of
the Act of Parliament, for if such offers were
to be received, it would destroy all 'Manner
of competition ; and c.!rtainly the Act had twVer
-intended that offers for the sale of the Land
1.4 x were to he conducted in a manner 'sitnilar
to alio im.s, where people's minds were Often in-
Ilitenced and they led to give 'much more than in-
•cord reti.:ction they would have done. if eraied
•hiddings were allowed to be sent in for the pur-
chase of • Land Taxes, hi the way that the Com-
luissioners had allowed, the defendant, lstead (that
seas, bidding one per cent. above what any Other
person might bid), it would be only for a than to
fix upon what township, or borough lie pleased,
and by that means become the purchaser, at only
an advance of one per cent. at the same time using
the talents, industry, and calculations of the, un-
successful bidders. It was far from hits to -at-
tempt to charge the Commissioners with fraudulent
intentions in this transaction, for it never had hten
t hong lit of until mentioned by the learned Solicito-
r Brit if they had acted corruptly or fraudu-
lently, would Lis Lordship say that they ought to
meet wish punishment except what a Criminal
Court might inflict by imprisonment and fine 1 As
to quoting .cac-s in support of his argument, he did
not think it necessary-, as it would be only taking
up his Lordship's time, and could not tend to elu-
'vitiate cite case. There was One, however, which
had been (punted that of General 13nrgoyne, as
being in point, which in his humble opinion could
not bear on this. That was an otEcer in the army
only, obeying his instructions, and could not be
considered as responsible, and Lord Thurlow had
acted very right in saying so.—The Learned Gen-
tleman conch iihed by expressing no doubt but that
the decision would he t eversed, at the same time
stating his determination to refrain from saving
anything respecting the Commissioners, not being
proper parties, till a formal demurrer on that point
tvz
-4
s before the Conrt.

11Ir. "FROWER and Mr. PHILIMORE followed on
the same side.

'Fhe SOLICITOR-GENERAL replied.
he LORD CHANCELLOR considered the question
peculiarly impomtht, though it was one, he must
own, attended With very gre,.t diffictilty. The
Act, Its far as he had considered it, pointed out no
speci:ic tprni of contract, for thought it set out
with repealing all the former Acts made on this
subject, and said that 'all contracts in future were
to be made in the Corm and manner hereinafter
prescribed, it had, to his great , astonishment,
pointed out no form whatever. 'rite question, as
he understood it, was not whether the Com-
missioners were compellable to ft ltill their cony
tract, but whether this Court had the power of
compelling them. The Learned Gentleman who
drew up the preeout Bill was entitled to the warm-
est thanks of t he Court, for the luminous manner in
which he had stated his case, and the very great
assistance he had thereby rendered the Court.
Williams, it was alleged by the Bill, was the
highest bidder; but if it was trite that !stead was
the hivest, then the case was resolved into a
iptc ion of I iw.—[lere his Lordship, at consi-
derable length, went over the various measures
which had been taken by the Legislature for ex-
pediting the sale of the Laud Tax].—Viewing the
case 'as one of considerable importance to the

lie in ever.v point of view, lie would take borne
the Act of Parliament, and on Thursday morning

.give judgment. The case certainly involved some
truly important considerations with regard to the
public interests, and these he should certainly de-
liberately weigh before he decided the case, which
he would at all events do on Thursday.

INJUNCTION.

BINNING V. GOLDING, GOODWIN, TAYLOR AND

• OTHERS.

• Mr. 'liar applied for an Injunction from the
Court, under the following extraordinary circum-
stances :—The .p;aintilf had lived in linlstrode-
street, but let the house she occupied to a Mr.
'Giddings tvho agreed to take it and the furniture,
fixtures, &c. at a given valuation, and pay her by
bills.—These bills she took, but unfortunately
she had never since been paid, though the sum
due to her was three hundred pounds. She was
referred to Goodwin, at the Grand Hotel, Covent-
-g-arden, where she had an excellent character of
-Golding, and she was further told by Taylor, a
warehouse-keeper in Holhornohat he would cheer-
fully discount any bills which Golding might give
-her, as Golding- was a man of great pecuniary means.
Site accordingly let him have her house, though
-her doubts were not completely removed, but she..
did not give him the assignment. In•as few days
after, when calling for some small articles at the
house, she was astonished to find Golding gone,
and Goodwin in possession by virtue of a power
of attorney, and he refused to give her the ar-
ticles. Calling of Taylor to discount the bills as'
I:e had promised, he only laughed at ber• credu-
lity, butt tvould not discount them. The house
and furniture bring advertised for sale by virtue
of the power orattc.rney, she was compelled un-
der such circumstances to apply for the injunction.
Loa: CHANCELLOR—CertainIy take it, btu serve

all the parties with notice of what you have done.
His Lordship rose at two to attend a Cabinet
Council.

COURT OF KING'S BENCH, Nay. 25.
.

BLASPHEMY.

THE KING V.. JAMES WILLIAMS.:

The ATTORNEY-9ENURAL prayed the judgnnt
of the Court detendintr, who had suffered
lodgment to go by default, on two informations
filed •ag•aitmt him for ptiuting and publishing two
profane ;and seandalowdibels'.
The def'endant 14aq-11'v, taken his station on the
floor of the Coutt,':dr. DEALTRY proceeded to
read the first intormiltion, whiCh set forth that
James Williams, late of l'ortsea, in the county of
Southampton,:priutcr, intending to excite im-
piety and irreligion in the minds of his Abjesty's

liege subjects, anti to into ridicule an:i coo-
tempt a certain pirt of the public service of the
Church of England, 'C The Litany," On
15th of February, in the 57th year of Geo. 11l
did publish a Wicked and prbfane liDel, being a
parody on the said Litany..
The defeudant put in v:irions affidavits, in mi-
tigation of punishment. In liis.oWn affidavit, he
deposed that he had carried on the business of
printet, at Portsea, for 15 years, and had never
been subject to any action at law for any thing
published
.by hiM. In the mOnth of February Jast,
he was aliplied to by a person who vends hooks
'About thr country, to print 250 copies of the
Parody on the -Litany, tool
.of the Parody on
'the Athanasian 'Creed. Two months before any
infthinitian was filed against learned,
from the public newspapers, that they veto clan.
gerrins productions, and he instantly desisted from
publishing them. 'rile deponent never Was, in
' any way, concernedvith the original publisher or
publishers of those Parodies.
George Pullingey deposed, that he had lived
upwardsot Seven years with the defendant, as
apprentice and journeyman—and recollected per-
fectly that when the defendant discovered that
the Parodies were illegal, lie desisted from pub-
lishing them, and ordered the types to be" distri-
buted.

Fun:- affi,laYits, sworn by respectable inhabi
tants of Piirtsca, described the defendant az, ag.noi
and loyal subject.

TheATToRNEY-GENERAL said, he found it. his
duty to file this information against the defen-
dant, who, from- his affidavit, appeared to have
been the distributor as well as the printer, of a
publication which was properly designated, on
the record, as a profane and scandalous libel—
tending to bring into ridicule and contempt a
part of the Divine 'Service of the Church of Eug-
land, Their Lordships knew, that the form of
public worship in the Church ot.Engl:lnd was
sanctioned by law. The Litany was particolduly
mentioned in a statute passed inthe reign of Chad'
11..f0r the purpose of establishing a particulai
system of public worship. As far, therefore, as
related to the mode of performing public worship,
it was supported by the law of the !and—brit. it
derived the sacredness of its eh arater from a much
higher source—from the.Chi'istian Religion itself;
land he thought nothing was more fit for a
prosecution, than any attempt to ridicule or.
bring into disgrace any of those sublime prayers,
which form a part of our religious worship A
more solemn, he might say a more sublime, col-
lection of supplicatory prayers to the Deity to
avert trout us every possible evil, to procct us in
the hour of death_ and even after death, than
were comprised in the Litany, could not he
penned by Inan It was one of tile most sublime
services of the Church, and it was impossible
that a publication of this•sort, which was meant
to ridicule it, could be disseminated amongst tlie
lower ranks of society, Or amongst the rising ge-
neration, no matter what their situation in life
was, without necessarily weakening that reveren-
tial awe whicit every person might to feel tow4rds
his Creator.

Mr. ltostNsoN addressed the Court in mitigation
of put►ishtnet+t. lie trusted the Court would nut in-
fl icton the defendant that full IlleaS ore of pouish ment
with which they Might think it necessary to visit
the original publisher of those profane ;and wicked
libel's. It was most unfortunate for his client,
that though he was not the first offender in order
of time and criminality, yet he was the first who
was brought up for judgment—and it was ever
the case, that the first blow, on such occasions,
was the heaviest. The Learned Gentlentan im-
pressed forribly on the Court the Circumstance,
that the defendant had not acted contumaciously.
The moment he !coined that the publication was
improper, he ceased to expose it to sale, lie had
not thrown down the gauntlet Of defiance lu the
Court, and told the Attorney-General that he
would meet him when and where he pleased, and
prove that the publication was not a libel. No !
when apprised of his error, he did every thing in
his power to atone for it.
The second information, for publishing the pa-
rody on the Atl►anacian Creed, was then read

ATTORNEY-GENERAL, in praying judgment,
observed, that, as had been said by the Court
many years ago, it was impo,sible to discuss cer-
tain points and doctrines connected with our re-
ligion, in such a manner as to steer clear of libel.
But this was not the case here. There was here
no discussion on any point of public worship.
It was a parody intended to ridicule all the doc-
trines contained in the Creed of St. Atlianasins,
and deserved the character which was given to it in
the information.
Mr. TOPPIG followed on the same side.

Mr. Roangsort said, if the Athanasian Creed
were to be treated argumentatively, certainly it
could nor be done through the medium of a pa-
rody. But, be submitted, that it was impossible
for any person who read the present parody., and
who was acquainted with the original, to receive
any unfavourable impression from the publication
in question.. It was well known that many end-
nent Divines, many illustrious ornaments of the
Bench, vvho were filled.with the most perfect con-
viction of the great truths of Chtistianity, yet
wished that the form of ii)cidcistittg these truths,
as exhibited in the Athanasiun Creed, had never
been in existence.

Ni. Justice BAYLEY, in pronouncing the sen-
tence of the Court, observed, that it his Majesty's
Attorney-General had not filed the present infor-
mations, he, for one, would have thought that he
had fallen short in the discharge of that duty
which the public exnected at his hands. It was
impossible for any man who read these libels, and
who felt any, the least reverence, tot the sacred
ordinances of *the Church of England, and the
doctrines of Christianity, not to feel his mind ap-
palled 3t the langnage itt which they were couched.
His Lordship said, it was unneeessary for him to
go through these libels, and to point out in what
ins...ances they Were offensive.. Bit they certainly
deserved this general character—that they were
calculated to raise light and loose ideas in the
mind, whet) those ordinances, which they ridi-
culed, were read.—Of one of the compositiOns,
thwirarodied, he believed it might be said, that it
was the fi'ilest. work that ever proceeded front the
heart or head of inP..n. And in what situation were
the young and the unguarded placed, if they were

to have their-teiitit'is'iinstrttled, at the
the whole a their attention ought to betlTcosil'ed
by the considerat 101 l of that sacred work. it VFas
stated by the Conostl (Jr.. Itobinsob) that 'etre
AthanaSian 'Creed had breu in Some degree Ititir-
tinned by several great and able tneenbets of tire
Church. If -it were to be Inestioned, this was not
the mode that should he adopted. Fair, and so-
ber, and temperate, discreet discussion, might
he necessary to 'mankind—hat so long as thit ser-
vice .was Sanctioned fry the LegislatiTte of the
country, it was not to be made the Subject Of 'ri-
dicule. But this libel did not ire.peaeh alone the
questionable parts, if there were any, of this
ortli-
;lance, hut militated against the fundamental doc-
rt Ines of ono religion, and taneit them into ridi-
cule and conteino. Lel it not be Sopposed, be-
cause the defendant was by "aecident the first per,
son brought up to answer for this offence,
that therefore a measure of punishment would
he held out to him different from that which
Ire would have received, if he had come Op
at a later period. The Court measured out
its punishMent as:accurately as it could with
respect to the peculiarities of each case. Its
visitation was not aggravated because the case
happened to be the first, nor diminished because
it presented itself at a later period.
The sentence of the Court was, that the de-
fendant, for the first libel, should be imprisoner4
in the gaoly of Winchester fur eight calendar
months, pay a fine. of 1001. to the Ki6g, and find
securities, „himself in 3001. and :vio sureties in
1.501. each, to be of good behaviour for 5 years.
For the :second libel; he was sentenced to 4
months' imprisonment in ‘Vinehester gaol, to be
computed after the expiration of the first sentence.