The Sun.
London, England, 1818-11-23 00:00:00

FOR TII E SUN.

To W. M N, Temple.
Stn,—Leaving our names with the worthy
Editor of this Paper will be of no use, as the
nature of our subject requires no personal
intercourse. Your attack on Self and Co. has
been anonyinonsly patlic, and our defence contd.
not be otherwise. Both have been general, he
cause you avoid particulars. You have hence
written too much in one sense, and too little in
another for your purpose, which I admire,
cerely wishing your means had been better direct-
ed to their end. In my address to you lately, you
may discover that I ato not merely an Agent for
or against Insolvent Debtors, but ant co:tstilled
on law by people of fashion, who would never
come to my house, it I were of your description.
In short, your complaint of this nevv•tangled Act
of Insolvency is made where it cannot be heard
with effect, and your obloquy on us recoils on •
yourself; hut as you have softened your answer
with moderation, and thawed your ice in
SuN of last Saturday, 1 shall close the subject by.
assuring you, that you cannot be a more zealou,
enemy to vice and immorality, or a greater friend
to virtue and good abearing, than I an. In the '
language of 'Terence, Homo sum, humani a
me alienum puto, which, for the sake of the Eng-
lisp Header, I translate thus,-1 am a man, and
nothing whereby mankind is affected is ever in-
different to

Your friendly humble servant,
AN AGENT FOR INSOLVENT DEBTORS,

UNPARALLELED CIRCUMSTANCE.
(FRom THE OBSI:RVER)

MANSION-HOUSE.—On Friday evening the Lord Mayor
was applied to by -- Jones, Esq. late Marshal of the
Bench, upon the following. extraordimo y occasion the
Ist of June, a sale of part of the late Alderman Boydell's
property took place at his widow's house in Cheapside, by
order of the executors; plates, prints, &c. were sold on that
day to the amount of about 40,0901. The purchase r was a
Mr. Harrison, who bad been agent to Baydell's house up-
wards of twenty years: but the purchase was made in several
names, amongst which was that of Mr. Arch, ,itioliselltr, ef
Cornhill. The purchase made in Mr. Arch's name was tio-
derstood to be in fact for the benefit of Mr. Harrison. After
this had heel, disite, au evelit took place, motet- time authority. of Mr. Harrison, of which Mr. Junes gave the folowing
account :
Mr. Harrison was agent to Sir Wit. Boyden's house from
his youth, until that Alderman's death, a period of twenty
years. After the Al:fermi:Ws death, he was allowed to mold
the agency; and when it was thought necessary to dispose. of the property, every futilities worth of which belonsed to the..
widow, it was considered fit to permit him to make purchases' of certain portions of the property fur himself, fur which it
was agreed that he should give in to Mr. Jones, who acted
upon the part of the widow, approved bills within a stated
time. Upon this agreement Mr. Harrison made purchases to
the above-mcntioned aumont. For part of the property he
gave bills, and tilt pile has. was considered so far com-
pleted ; but for the remaining part, the sun) to he paid
fur which was 20,7001., nu hills had hero offered, outwith-
stauding the constant applications front those most deeply
interested in the pill Cha.v, fur promised securities. In
this emergency it was thought expedieat to make a second
sale of the property, to the uncompleted amount. The gmals,.
the conditions of the sale of which bad not been complied
with, were sold by public auction a second time. The pur-
chasers were the firm of Loop:mu and Co. of Paternoster-..
row, and it was considered that Mr. Harrison: had, by his re-
focal to comply with the terms of the stipulatiori, fallen hack
into his character of agent. The new purchasers immediately
.; gave bills for the amousit, and :very put in possession of the
house in Cheapside, where goods, the property of the widow, to tine amount of between 60,0001. and 70,0001. were depo-
sited. They had not remained long its possession, when an
attempt to deprive them of it, upon the part et Mr. Harri-
son, was made with suddenness and sitecess.
Mr. Robinson and another Gentleman were in the house
one day, when Mr. Harrison, who was allowed to sleep in it, .
walked into the room where those Gentlemen were, told
taking the former by the shoulder, thrust him out of doors,
telling hint he had no business there. Mr. Robitison's friend
was handled io the same manner. Resistance would II:1 ke
proved unavailing, fur Mr. Harrison's assistants upon the
occasion were numerous, and a personal contest could riot
be supposed to exist lung between six people nor one side and
two on the other. Mr. Harrison ridiculed the notion of any claim to the property except his own, and having supplied
the garrison with the necessary means of holding out, re- hosed to open the doors fur airy authority. 'nue conduct of Mr. Harrison seemed the more extraordinary, as he had been so many years in the service of the house, where
he had been treated with the utmost iiberality. As a proof
of the generosity he had net with, even after he had proceed-
ed to these violent measures, it was stated by Mr. Jones that an otter or 2500 t. hadberet utole to him to answer all claims F..
he might have upon the house, and as an ilideinnificatioo for ';
all loss he might hire sustained from the second sale of tine
goods, the first purchase o which Inc had not made good. To
this otter he had, it seems must cordially assented on 'l'hurs-
day
last, declaring that he would be most folly satisfied with t
the remuneration. He had, however, since changed his
mind, ;tot! Mr. J.mnes said, admitted that he sent away some r
of the property on the Wednesday night, from the premises.
The LoND MAYOI( ob-erved that the case was a very strange fts
one, and asTs.ed upon shat prmeiple tile, Harrisen had de- .4
feuded the conduct he had thought proper to pursue ? Mr. Jones said, time justification set up was, that Mr. Bar-
risou was a part n, r in the house of Boydell.
The Loit.. MAYott said, any question connected with
an
unadjusted partnership must be of a very delicate nature, anti sr
certainly couid not come within the liniits of his authority as
a magistrate. He could of coarse take cosnisailee of the as
,aults that had been committed, but with the civil part of is
the business he could riot int,: fire.
Mr. Jones said, the case came, in his apprehension, wholly
within his Lordship's joridiction. The plea of partnership
could nut be supported, and it struck him that the taking
property out of a house, without amty other authority than
having itid for it, came within the class of offences to which
a Nlagistrate's attentions were unfortunately too frequently
directed.
The Loan Mayme said, he could consider the case at pre-
sent as nothing less than, a contest between two adverse inter-
ties, one of whom had put the other out of possession. He ss
did not consider the taking felonious, for Miens the shadow
of a right appeared, the felonious hitt-minim vanished.
Mr. Jones said, there was not the slightest shadow of legal
right upon the part of Mr. Harrison.
The LORD MAYOR observed, that there certainly appeared 4
no right in point of law. Possession, however, was, it was '.
well known, a thing of great power ill the opinion of the
Bench, and Mr. Harrison had possession,
Mr. Junes begged to know in what manner his Lordship r,
would act wider siiuilar circumstances.
The Loon Ma sera said, that as John Atkins, of Walhrook,
he should oppose force to force, if his premises Yvete taken
possession of. As Lord Mayor, be should apply to his Soli- r
citor, who ,eetned to him to be the only person capable of I
giving redress.
Mr. Jones begged to trice an authority from his Lordship to
make a forcible entry into the house, in order to produce
Mrs. Boydells property, and' said he should give his Lord-
ship indemnification in the event of a legal process.
His Lordship expressed an anxious wish to render every
service; but said no indemnification could be given to him as fs,
a Magistratr, for his interference in a czese Which seemed to him to he capable of being m:ecitled only its a Court. Mr. Harrison might soot' be convinced that he had no right to take fs. so great an authority Inputs himself ; and might, his Lordship At u•gested, be spoken with to some effect.
Mr. Jones said, he had shut himself up its the house, and t:
would nut speak with, any body but those who had advises! SZ. hint so much to his own prejudice.
The Loan MAYOR sent Mr. Brown, the Marshal, to the house, to request that Mm. Harrison would call Upon him at the s'•
Mansion House, and to assure him that no areantage should s
be fallen of his absence from the house in Cheataside. The
Marshal SO3/1 returhed with the answer of Mr. Hari ison, who rc,
spoke to him from the kitchen through the grate. Mr. Hilt-
Filson expressed his sorrow that circumstances prevented hit: tie
ff Oal having any communication with Ins Lordship.
ij
We ate happy to state that the parties came to an tinder- S.
standing on Saturday upon the subject, which produced a
must amicable adjustruent of all differences. By th it arrange. r.•
cent, an expensive Chancery suit has been avoided.