The Sun.
London, England, 1818-05-19 00:00:00

SHIP NEWS.

DEAL, MAY B.—Sailed this morning the Bombay and
Charles Grant Indiamen, and the whole of the homeward-
bound, for the River.

PoRTSSIOUTH, MAY !S.—Arrived his Majesty's ship Tibre
froni a cruize. His Majesty's ships Vengeur and Rochfurt
went out of harbour and anchored at Spithead.
FAL,owrit, MAY 16.—Sailed the Marshal Wellington,
Gordon, fur Bengal; Mary, Stevens, for Gibraltar and Ma-
gadore, having on board I. S. Douglas, Esq. and suite, Consul
General to the Emperor of Morocco.
LAM! NGToN, MAY 18.—Put into our Roads the Peace, —,
from Memel, bound to Cork. The Master having died yes-
terday off St. Alban's, the vessel brought up fur the purpose
of interring him to-day.

Coen, MAX 14.—Arrived his Majesty's ships Cyrus and

Erue.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

COURT OF !ONG': BENCH, MAT IP.

1.1( ENSING PUBLIC -HOUSES.

THE KING V. JOSEPH MERCERON, ESQ.
Mr. WYLD shitcd to the Jury (which was Spe-
cial), that this was au indictment against tire de‘
fentlaut, why was a Mr.gistrate, and who. tiCceN,'
girding his duty 111 such character, and in viola-
tion of aII his sacred functions, did licence one T.

Wright to keep a common ale-house, well know-
ing that he was a most improper person to keep
such house. . There were seven other counts in
the indictment, which charged the defendant with
having similarly conducted himself in seven seve-
ral instances.
Mr. SC/041.171'T, after some very impressive and
eloquent EClllalks on the superior advantages
which the people of thiS country, as comp tied with
every other part of the wink!, possessed in the
administration of justice, from the highest officeis
down to those of the most humble character; and.
alter having particularly described the important
duties, as well as the high trust and coal:leiter
which were reposed in the Magistrates, proceeded
to state, that the charge against the present de-
fendant, who had held the office of a Magis-
trate, was that of having cot-1111)0y abused the

'unctions of his sacred situation, He went On to►
►bserve, that att►ong other duties de'volving upon
:he defendant was that of granting licencef:to

public-houses. The defendant had for many years
been a Magistrate for the county of Middlesex,
and it was not in one solitary instance that he had
violated his ditty as a MaOstrate, but in several
instances in the years 1815 and 1816, even after
he had received the fullest -information that the
houses were kept by highly improper persons ;
amongst these were the followi,lg :—The Seven
Stars, kept hy T. ltrriliht ; the King's Arms ; the
Queen's Head ; the Turk and Stave ; the Adam
and Eve ; the Ram and- Magpie ;—every one of
which, it would appear, bad been kept by persons
who allowed gambling and almost every other sort
of excess. In the year 1815, the conduct of the
persons who kept those houses because so noto-
rious, ihat the Constable thought fit to make a
list of them, and lay it before the Magistrates at
the Quarter Sessions ; notwithstanding which,
however, they were all relicensed. Some of
them were the property of Mr. Alerceron, and of
others he received the rents. _ _ _

Mr. John Whitby Perry was Ilead.constable for
the parish of Bethnal-green for 1815. He, ac-
companied by the beadboroughs of the perish,
went round very frequently to inspect the conduct
of the different public-houses, which he found
were conducted in a very bad manner, by keeping
open till one or two in the morning. All mariner
of persons of the lower order, young people of
both sexes, assembled there ; they were generally
playing at cards, -twenty, thirty, or forty at a
time. lie knew Mr. Merceron acting RS a Magis-
trate for their parish. Shortly after the licensing
day, in September, 1815. he was sent for by Mr.
Merceron to his office in Brick-lane. Mr. Mer-
reroa asked him whether he had any complaint
against victuallers on the nest licensing day.—
Witnetis said he certainly had, for he had found
many of "the publicans very disorderky. lie men-
tioned particularly four, and stated- to Mr..Mer-
ceron what he stated to-day. lie said, he thought
their coodact was very reprehensible, and that
they ought to be punished for it. lie added, that
he must report them before the, Licensing Board.
Mr. Mercerou upon this told him to he careful
what he did, and not to be litigious, as his reprirt
might be the cause of these people losing their
licences, and themselves and families be reduced
to beggary. Witness told him he understood he
should have to take his oath when he came before
the Magistrates, and that he-could take his oath
correctly. Mr. Merceron replied, he must send
to the persons in question, and admonish them,
arid that no doubt I should find their conduct bet-
ter. lie said he would be on the bench on the

licensing day. Witness attended on the licensing
day. Mr. Merceron and Sir D ‘Villitns were
alone present. A question was put to witness by
Sir D. WTlhams, how he found the morals of the
licensed ? Ile told him he had found them very
bad; but he had had an interview with ilhr. Met-
ccron, awl that he had promised so give them an
admonition. Mr M. replied, I have taken care
of that, Sir D. ; l have sees, them. Witness was
swot n ; he was not asked to name the houses, and
no more questions were put. The victuallers were
then called in. It it had not beets for what Mr.
Mercerun said to hint he should have presented
those houses on that day. 'flay licences were re-
newed to the saute persons. ‘Vi,ness visited the
same houses . again, and did not find their beha-
viour at all improved. He was treated afterwards
with insult, and was less attended to than before
by the landlords.
Matthew Cadoux was one of the beadboroughs
of this parish in 1815 ; lie accompanied the last
witness several times when he went to visit public-
houses. The evidence of this witnesi -went to
•
confirm Mr. Perry'S evidence.
Mr. John Smith, also a headborough, gave evi-
dence to the same effect.
Mr. Thomas Field, who was likewise a bead-
' borough front April 1815 to April 1816, accom-
panied Mr. Perry in his inspections ; also gave
evidence in confirmation of the preceding wit-
nesses.

Isaac Reynnldson was the constable of St.
Matthew's, Bethnal Green, in 1816. During that
year he inspected the public•houses. lie knew
Mr. Merceron ; he met him on some occasions
before the licensing day on that year. Ile asked
him how he fo,ind the public-houses ? witness
said he found them very disorderly. On the 2d
of September (the licensing day), Mr. Merceron
called upon him het‘veen nine and eleven : the
Magistrates were to meet, he said, " to-clay is the
licensing day." Witness said, " Yes, Sir, I am
preparing tor it." He asked him if he bad any
complaint to make against public houses witness
said he had. Ile then asked him what the houses
were, and witness gave him a list of six or seven,
which -he said were the worst. He asked what
was the nature of the complaints ? witness told
him they were in a minute book, which he had ore
the table. This book contained the minutes of
what occurred when he went out at night and On
Sundays ; and mentioned the houses he found

disnrderly. Mr. 11Terceron took lip the book and
looked st it ; he then said, " You must be very
particular how you present these houses : if you
present these houses before the Magistrates to-
day, you may he the means of depriving theni and
their families of their livelihoods." Witness said
he should be very sorry to do them an injury ;
upon which Mr. Merceron said, he certainly
a ould do them an injury if kc pres,ente4l them,'
Irctett it to him (Mr. Mereeron), woufd see
the tenants, and chAstise them for their conduct.
Witness then asked him, whether, whets he came
before the Magistrates, he should not be obliged
to take his oath as to the publican;. He told hint
yes, but that WAS a mere matter of form. Witness

then 'told him he could not take the oath to
represent that the publicans were in good
”rder when he kne►v them to he bad.—
Mr. Merceron then said, "If you must
present them, he careful what you do." He
took assay the list of the disorderly houses in
his pocket. Witness went afterwards before the
Magistrates. Mr. Merceron and three or four
more were there ; among others Sir D. Williams.
Mr. Merceron was standing beside Sir Daniel, and
►witness was asked if he had any complaint to make
against the publicans. He told him the Golden
Key was a disorderly house. 'fl►at was all he was
asked. He did not mention the test, because Mr.
Merceron said he would see the parties and admo-
nish them ; :witness told Mr. Merceron lie must
mention some, and selected the Golden Key ; he
did not know that Mr. Merceron was the pro-
prietor of any public-houses.
Several other witnesses were examined to the
same effect.

The evidence from the Report of the Commit-
tee of the House of Commons was then read,
from which it appeared .that the defendant was
the owner of several public-houses—among which
were the Seven Stars, White Swan, King's Arms,
and others, of which he produced a list. lie also
produced lists of other public-houses, of which
received the rents, ineludi:rg the Turk and
Slave, &c.
Mr. TorPING addressed the Jury in behalf of
the defendant, and commented upon the evidence
of the several witnesses.—Mr. SCARLETT replied.
The Judge, in summing up, described the duties
of a Licensing Magistrate, which, if violated in
the manner stated, were productive of the most

dangerous consequences.
The Jury immediately returned a verdict of—
Guilty.