The Sun.
London, England, 1829-05-22 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

COURT OF KING'S BENCH, MAY 21.
THE KING V. JOHN HYDE.

Mr. BROUGHAM prayed the judgment of the Court
upon the defendant, a surveyor of taxes at Liverpool,
who had been convicted at the last assizes at Lan-
caster of au indelicate assault on Fanny Fisher, the
wife of a sail-maker at Liverpool.
Our readers will recollect that such of the facts of
the case as were not unfit for publication were de-
tailed in the report of the trial a few weeks back.
On the part of the defendant, an affidavit of his
was now put in in mitigation of punishment. Its object
was to give a different complexion to the case from
that which it seemed to bear at the trial. It stated
that the prosecutrix had tendered the first kiss, and
that the defendant, "at parting," asked for another,
which was given ; that the defendant then told her
that he should come again at Christmas; that she,
in reply, said she should be glad to see him at any
time ; that he then asked whether it should be when
her husband was absent or at home; and that she,
laughing, said, " When he is at home, to be sure."
The defendant also swore that the assault, for which
he was sorry, extended no further than to the taking
of the kiss, though the prosecutrix at the trial de-
posed to an offence of a much more aggravated des-
cription. The affidavit further stated that the de-
fendant had been a surveyor of taxes for a period of
24 veers, and that by his assiduity in detecting
frauds, and making the proper assessments, he had
incurred great public obloquy among some of the
inhabitants of the town of Liverpool, in which place
he had been made the subject of abuse and ridicule,
and held up to odium and contempt by the Liverpool
Mercury, and another local newspaper. In conclu-
sion, the affidavit stated that the defendant had a
wife and four children wholly dependent on him for
support.

sine other affidavits were put in on the defend-
ant's behalf, in one of which it was stated, that in
the afternoon of the day on which the assault had
been committed, the prosecutrix went to the house
of an opposite neighbour and said, " I have had Mr.
Hyde with me to-day, and found him a very different
man from what I expected. He has been joking
with me, and I think him a very civil and pleasant
man. He said, if he thought my husband would not
be offended, he would have a kiss of his pretty
little wife." The other affidavits were principally
to the defendant's moral character, and to the faith-
ful discharge of his duties as a public officer, in
which capacity, one of the affidavits affirmed, he
had rendered " services important to the state."
Amongst the affidavits put in on the part of the
defendant was one from his own wife. Mr. ALDER-
SON doubted whether, legally speaking, he could use
it; but, however, as she might be supposed to be a
party aggrieved—(A laugh)—he thought he might
make use of it in favour of her husband, although
not against him. The affidavit stated that she had
been married to him for eight years, and,that he had
always behaved as a good husband and a father—
(A laugh)—also that he had been married to a
former wife, with whom he had lived for sixteen
years, and had never misconducted himself.

Mr. ALDERSON addressed the Cow t in mitiga-
tion of punishment, and urged strongly that the
statement of Mrs. Fisher was not true, and that the
defendant was the victim of a strong feeling of pre-
judice that prevailed against him, on account of his
being a tax-gatherer.
Mr. BRouGuAlf, in aggravation, contended that
this case was even beyond the case of a rape. He
would not designate this person's conduct as brutal;
he would call it beastly, and if not sufficiently pu-
nished, it might tend to bring into disgrace a Go-

vernment who eniploVd tueh a Mart to eolleet ita
revenue, and to hurl that Government to destruction.
Mr. Justice BAYLEY, in passing sentence, observed
that the circumstances of the assault of which the
defendant had been convicted vi;as, as appeared by
the evidence at the trial, one of a veii aggravated
description. The defendant had, in the affidavit
which he had to-day put in, admitted his conduct tat
be in a great degree improper; and considering the
official situation he filled, and the duty he had to
perform (and being also' a married man, and the
father of a family), the circumstances of the case
were of a very aggravated description. There were,
however, affidavits in mitigation, which had per
produced some degree of doubt in the mind of the
Court as to the extent of the misconduct of which
the defendant had been guilty; and, considering the
expense to which he had been put, first in removing
the indictment into this Court, and now in coming
up here from Liverpool, the sentence of the Court
was, that the defendant do pay a fine to the King
of 20/.
The defendant immediately paid the fine, and was
discharged, •

. •
INSOLVENT DEBTORS' COURT, MAY £7.
James Taylor was opposed by Mr. HEATH, on hcie
half of Mr. John Joseph Lawson, printer of tho
Times journal, and by Mr. Charles Chapman IA

person.
The insolvent stated, upon his examination by
Mr. HEATH, that he lied written a letter to Mr,
Lawson, explaining the circumstances under which
he had been induced to bring at action against the
Editor of the Times newspaper. The Contents of
that letter were true. He had brought the action
in consequence of a statement which appeared in the
Times reflecting upon his character. He had bcen
induced t® do so by Mr. Platts, an attorney, Who
told him he would bring the action for him free of.
expence, as he had good ground for damages. He
(insolvent) went one evening to Mr. Platts' office,
in Jewin-crescent, and was told by Mr. Plaits to
write a letter to him (Mr. Platts) stating that it
was the wish of his (insolvent's) friends to have his -
character cleared up ; and he (insolvent) was dis,
tinetly told by Mr. P:atts to put the letter into tho
post-office at Islington. Platts did not offer :3,01:.
for insolvent's chance of a verdict ; but he bffered
his note for 20/. He said, "We have a good cat',
and I will give you 20/. for your chances."
vent declined the offer. Plaits told him that if he
(insolvent) should fail arid be arrested, he-(Piatts)
would get him out of prison under this Act. He
therefore advised insolvent to bring the action, and
also to get into debt as much as he could, as in casd
of failure he would be cleared from all demands to-
gether under the Act.
Mr. HEATH—I believe you adopted Mr. Platts'
advice? Insolvent—l did.
Mr. Commissioner LAW—The advice was two:

fold—to bring the actiors, and get into debt as much
as you could. Did you follow it in both resposts
Insolvent—l brought the action.
Mr. Commissioner LAW—Did you get into debt
Insolvent—l did not.
Mr. HEATII—Were you defeated in your action
against the Times? Insolvent—l was.
Mr. HEATH—Mr. Platts, I believe, is an attorney
of this Court.
The CHIEF COMMISSIONER—Not now, Mr, Heaths
Mr. HEATH—I beg pardon; I thought he was an
attorney of the Court, but had been suspended.
The CHIEF COMMISSIONER—He was suspended
generally some considerable time ago, and had not
since applied to be restored. I therefore think lie
cannot now be called a practitioner of this Court.
Mr. HEATII—Then, Sir, in that case I shall not
press my opposition any further. The insolvent is
a very poor man, with seven children; and I am
instructed by Mr. Lawson not to call for any judr
meet upon him, as it is clear he was merely the tool
of another party.
The CHIEF COMMISSIONER—The case of a per-
son instituting legal proceedings for the purpose of
harassing a party would undoubtedly furnish strong
grounds of opposition to the insolvent's discharge:o
under the 47th section of the Act. However, as
the opposing creditor forbears to presi for judgment,_
the Court is saved the necessity of ittitidicating
upon that part of the case.
Mr. CHAPMAN then brought forward his ground
of opposition, which was, that the insolvent had
rented a house from him, and left it in the middle of
a quarter, owing him 161. for three-quarters' rento
and 41. 16s. 6d. the balance of a note; and although
he owed him this money, he carried off all the fix-
tures, of the value of 201., and pulled the house to
pieces.
The insolvent denied that lie had carried off the
fixtures, but said that they had been seized under a
distress for the poor's rate, which, however, be said
only amounted to lls.
Mr. Chapman not having any direct evidence to
contradict the insolvent's statement, _ _ _

Mr. Commissioner LAW said, that the Court had
no doubt that the insolvent had treated his landlord
very ill, but still no case had been made out by evi.
dence to warrant them in remanding him at his suit.
The insolvent was then sworn to his schedule, and

The CHIEF COMMISSIONER, after again asking.
Mr. Heath if he pressed for judgment on the part 0-f
Mr. Lawson, and being answered in the negative,
told the insolvent he had reason to think himself welt
off, after the line of conduct he had pursued, in
being declared entitled to his discharge.

THE MARKETS.

COUNTRY CORN MARKETS DURING THE WEE ti.

NN heat. Barley. I Oats. Beaus.
rer Quarter Is.to s. s. s. s. to s. s. to s.
Blandford 76 40 33 39
Brigg . 65 '72 '26 30 15 20 35 35
Cambridge—. 75 26 IS 30
Chard .--.......... 56 76 32 38 24 30 42 4-9
Huntingdon........ 66 70 26 33 17 21 28 34
Long Sutton--.... 54 74 16 23 33 37
Louth 6B '72 25 31 18 28 :13 40
Lynn 56 '7O 24 30 12 28 33 40
Newark 64 76 28 35 17 30 40 44
Nottingham ........ '72 SO 32 36 20 29 40 IN
Peterborough
Plymouth .......... 64 '7B 31 37 25
76 30 23 49
Sleafora 70 76 20 33 22 24 50 45
Uppinghain 70 SO 30 36 18 26 :32 46
60 74 '26 16 '25 136 SS

LEEDS CORN MARKET.—May IS.
There has been a fair supply of Wheat up to this day's mar.
ket, but the supply of other kinds of Grain has been small.
Fine fresh New Wheat being scarce has been sold on nearly the
same terms as last week, but other descriptions of New and Old
may be noted Is. per quarter lower. The malting sea,on being
nearly over causes the demand for Barley to be very limited, and
if sale. have been effected, lower prices have been submitted tn.
In Oats, Sheihng, and hard New Beans, no alteration can be
noted, but damp New Beans, Old nes, and Pease, may each
be noted lower, and the demand very limited. Malt awl Fl ur
without any alteration in price. Rapeseed 24 per last tower, and
dull sale.

Wheat, Norfolk and Suffolk, 601 b.
York. and Lincoln. 601 b. .......
Barley, Norfolk and Surfblk
Yorkshire and Lineolnsliire
--- Grinding
3
Beans
Oats, rotatoe
—Mealing, Foreign 12d. to 13d....English 12tt to 131 id. per at.
Shelling 32s. to 31a. per load
Rapeseed, English, 291. to 311.