The Sun.
London, England, 1820-11-23 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIG ENCE.

COURT OF KING'S BENCH, Nov. 22.

THE KING V. WOODS.

The defendants, two brothers, had been convicted at the
last Hereford Aisizes of sending a letter to a Gentleman
named Walker, tending to provoke him to a breach of the
peace. Affidavits in mitigation of punishment having been
put in on behalf of the defendants,
Mr. SCARLETT,fur the prosecution; was about to lay counter
affidavits before the Court; when
Mr. GOULBURN made an apology, on the part of the defen-
dants, expressive of their regret at what jbad label] place; awl
that they had acted under an erroneous impression.
The COURT suggested, that the best course would be to
refer the whole to the Master.
Mr. Gout.truaNE wished to know if the whole of the trans-
tuttion, from the commmsee-atent, was to be referred to the
Master; as in that case, he was afraid that the expence would
be ruinous to one of his Clients, who was a Lieutenant of
Dragoons, on half-pay.
'Mr. Justice BAYLET would leave it to the consideration of
the Learned Counsel, whether the sentence of that Court
would not operate as lieavily against his Client as a reference
to tl►e Master.
Mr. Goutau lINE then said, he would beg for the delay of a
few days, to consult with his Client.

THE KING P. CHAPMAN_
Mr. WILLIAMS prayed the judgment of the Court in this
case against the defendant, who had been convicted at the
Warwick Assizes of a libel relative to a trial that had taken
place at the Quarter Sessions in the New Bailey, at. Man-
chester, in the case of Pilkington and others. The libel bad
appeared in The Manchestei Obsermr,lof which the defendant
was the proprietor.
The defendant now put in an affidavit from himself, an-
other from Mr. Atkinson, his attorney, and a third. from Mr.
Wardle, tl►e late Proprietor of the Newspaper.. From those,
it appeared, that the defendant had only been Proprietor of
the Paper for 17 weeks,
,and had lent the last proprietor
money, for which • the only security he had was the News-
. paper. The libel in question had also been in the possession
of Wardle before the property of the Paper had been trans-
ferred to the defendant. it was also stated, that the de-
fendant had a wife and large family, was no political writer
by profession, but a pewterer by trade, and had been already
five months in prism...
Mr. Hour having been beard in mitigation, and
Mr. SCA RLEI T in aggravation of punishment, the defend-
ant addressed the Court stating, with much warmth, that the
whole of the transaction had arisen froiti the vindictive spirit
of theManchestir Magistrates, upon Whom, should he survive
the sentence of the Court, he should certainly be revenged,
either by night or by day. He had been a CoMmissioner of.
Police, and the Magistrates taking umbrage at. his conduct,
had brought the present and two other actions against him,
though he had always led the life of a good subject, a
good Christian, and an honest man. At the time he had
been taken into custody the Constable had said, he had
a tickler• for hint, and all his affidavits had been curtailed.
The Court said, they must act on the affidavits that had
been presented to theta, and, perhaps, the curtailing had
taken place by the advice of a judicious friend.
Mr. Justide BAILEY then addressed the defendant, stating,
that he had been convicted of a libel. The prisoner here in-
terrupted the Judge, saying, that he was not the author of
the libel. The Judge said, that as the libel had appeared in
a paper of which he was the proprietor, that in law made him
the author of it. That was a most unjustifiable libel on the
Magistrates. 'of Manchester; for there was no.description of
men to whom the country was more indebted than to the lo-
cal Magistracy,.who gave their services gratuitously.
The prisoner again attempted to interrupt his Lordship,
when the Lord Chief Justice said, that the Court had a diffi-
cult task to forget 'what had formerly fallen from him, and
counselled him not to add to that difficulty. The defendant
was then sentenced to two months confinement in the prison
of Cold-bath-fields; at the end of which time he was to find
security to keep the peace for three years, himself in 1001. and
two sureties in 101. each.

STEEPLE CHASE.--One of these adventurous ex-
ploits, for a bet of 100 guineas, took place on Monday, be-
tween Captain TuomPsoN, an intrepid fox-hunter, and a Mr.
WEDDERHURK, celebrated as a bold rider. The ground over
which the race took place was from Mr. Cooper's manor at
Halesgrove, near Hatfield, to Ash Green, a distance of about
15 Miles, as a bird would fly. There were more than a dozen
leaps before they reached the destined spot, and many per-
mitts interested in the betting went out as guides. The Cap-
tain look the lead upon his grey mare Amelia, followed close-
ly by Mr. W.- upon his horse Boxer, but they parted
after crossing a field and skirted a wood at different angles,
where they lost each other, preceded and followed by their
partizans. The mare twice refused a leap et a ditch of le
feet, and was thrown out nearly a mile, but she cleared all
her standing leaps. Boxer fell in leaping a fence, but horse
and rider were soon right again. The field where the race
ended commanded' a good view of the last mile, and Mr.
Wedderborn was first seeninf,a strait direction, and the Cap-
tain directly after, boils. making -full play, but tie Captain
lost it by four minutes. The ground was done in one .hour
and twelve minutes.