Star.
London, England, 1830-12-09 00:00:00

STAFFORDSHIRE.

AIIIITOW-UNDZI.LTNIG—On Saturday, the 4th inst. the town and
neighbourhood of Ashton-under-Lyne were thrown into a state of an.
siderable alarm, by several thousands of the work-people, who had as.
sembled, with tri-cobSured Sags, and $ band of music. The whole
marched in military order to visit the factories which were at work, and
peremptory orders were given for all hands to leave off work in, to at.
tends meeting advertised to be held, at one o'clock, in Dukinffeld. It
had been previously reported, and probably not without some truth,
should any opposition be made to their proceedings, that it was deter.
mined to dispute the matter per force. Be this as it may, the military
were not in attendance, nor any soldiers nearer than Manchester, which
is seven miles' distance. The origin of these proceedings has arisen
in con uence of the master spinners having agreed, after the 11th
day of ber, to pay three shillings and ninepence, for spinning
one thousand hanks of yarn, and the operatives object to this, and
are determined to take no less than four shillings and twopence per
thousand hanks. Should the affair be disputed betwixt master and
man, great distress must inevitably be the consequence. Upwards of
fifty cotton-mills, several of which employ more than 1,600 hands, will
be totally stopped, and not less than between thirty and forty thousand
individuals out of employment during the most inclement season of the
year. An immense concourse of people attended the meeting above.
mentioned, and were addressed at considerable length by Messrs. Betts,
Doherty, and others, the purport of which was to be .arm and united,
and resist the reduction.

KENT._

MAIDSTONE, Mostnar.—A fresh alarm, when it was thought that
the spirit of incendiarism was dying away, has been spread here, by a
fire which took place on Sunday night at Aylesford, within a few miles
of this town. The fire broke out on the faem of Mr. Samuel Arnold,
near that place. About half-pat tea on that evening Somas were ob.
owned to burst from a large barn. which contained several quarters of
beans that had been housed only on Saturday months, Ave beteii c(
wheat, the produce of three saes of barley and pew, and upwind@ of
thirteen bags of hops. Mr. Arnold had employed two men in meta
his mambos on the above evening; and it appears that they had resmiesd
at their post till a few minutes past ten o'clock, when they departed,
with the intentioniof oogg in an hour. In about ten niantes ettee.
ward they were suddenly recal ed by the ery of 6, Are." roma theism.
bustible nature of the materials the building and its emtente were
speedily (adman of fire and Same. A liege number of the Magma
soon assembled on the spot, and assisted with much *leaky la the en.
demure to extinguish the flames. The eagles belonging M the Kent
Fire-office also arrived soon after the are broke out, but nstwitliantad.
lug every exertion, the born, and all it contained, were eadmily de.
stroyed. The Clutha= and Rochester smiths@ came to rhea
unfortunately not in time to be of use. The engines, hewer,
for some time upon the range of cottages situated directly the
barn, inhabited hy labourers, whose wives and children fled soda her.
rot and alarm. Thty were thereby saved from ignition. A of
dragoons, from the cavalry depot at Maidstone, under the eentiegi of
Captain Clanto also rale Mn,ho spat. but the good mama et the
peasantry rendered any lateelbosese es their pent annecasseey.
farm stock was [mired for 11081. he the Kent.eliee, and the bees. which
belongs to Messrs. Sothis, of Beempien, was insured for the some slim
in the Sun Fire•ofike. The property destroyed is, however, estimated
at 7001.

BUFFiII,K.

Irewicn, Dec. 6.—lt having been announced that a meeting of the
labouring classes would take place this morning at Rushton. Heath,
two miles distant from Ipswich, the Magistrates had made every pee.
paration for quelling any tumult that might have arisen from a numer-
ous assemblage. The yeomanry, to the amount of several hundreds,
were early on the ground, accompanied by several of the neighbouring
gentry, but the try not appearing, the greater part of the yeo-
manry about one o'clock. Soon afterwards a few of the
labouring classes, from parishes at a considerable distance,
appnwe to the amount of about 150 es 200, including boys. Upon be-
ing asked their object in meeting, some said that they had been led to ex-
pect an advance of wages, but they had no intention to create any disturb.
ono whatever; others, that they had come out of curiosity. A party
coming from a distance, to the amount of forty, then proceeded to.
and were met about a mile from the town by the Lord'
Lieutenant and the Magistracy, and after a few words of kind ex-
postulation, they were requested to disperse, and the very coded,
obeyed
obeyed this injunction. Teo much era. it cannot be given foe the pre.
cautionary measures adopted by the Magistrates In this district ; the
promptitude of the Yeomanry was equally creditable; and it is but
junk* to add, that the peasantry conducted themselves most respect.
fully and peaceably. The thinness of their numbers, and the mode-
ration of their demands, are satisfactory proofs that the
h
classes in this neighbourhood generally are not discontented,=
a most gratifying circumstance that the miscreants who occasioned this
meeting, and upon it as an opponunity for the excitement
of popular tumult and dissabedon, am completely disappointed. The
result cannot be otherwise than favourable to the public peas., and the
poor are assured that those who administer the laws will laid a willing
ear to their well grounded complaints.

LAW REPORTS.
COURT OF RING'S BENCH, Du. &
It 1.110 • 31U.

To consequence of this ease being appointed for this mends , the
Court was much crowded with mill Akers. On the bench were
his Royal Highness the Duke of Ctun Lott Hill, end fiat Ito.
bat Peel

--iiiniituomms opened thtplesdird by eta that that this WM 4
afinhsal information, which bow spinet defendant for a
mks of libels on CoL Sir Robert Hill.

The defendant pleaded that he was not gnil_ty.
1111.141.111Z11 fiCAILiTT (with whom was Mr. Sergeant Roseau.)
stated the are. It was, he adi, a Feminism Instituted by gles Rehm
Hill, who had been a Lleatondfa his 1114eo_ty's am* keel the
year 17114, to the pease* that. At the battle of Waterstir R. Hill
was Coked Odle OMNI Plan s be was as Arm very ewe.
swum, agamed" hyb ogstatios sod onsullod bow, as* hod
by ble amine obtolaollio podia& of the plan% tai the ouellimo
and ailalitp at his waft& 11•(81r Jams aimissi) bad oh__
It on tht onset to Met thas otaew, as be woe abut gobilrodloco a
melted tba we aggravated MI% diet had been pulled by the 419.1
toodoot, who but also beta sa climb the woe news' u R..
bort HUI, dubs the than the limiest was fa the tepaiee 2,1

should Bay nothing of his conduct as an officer ow otherwise, as such
would not now extenuate or aggravate the offence which was now
the subject of inquiry. It was however necessary to mention that a
Court Martial had been held on Captain Jebb, and he was discharged
from the service, without having permission to sell his commission;
from this time it was supposed he had indulged this rancour against
Sir it. Hill. Sir R. Hill left the service some time since; be however
retained his rank of Leutenant-Colonel, and It was not until after this
date that a series of anonymous letters were addressed to various
distinguished persons. At first they were disregarded, and it
was found they began to multiply. One was sent to Sir Robert Peel,
others to Lord Hill, and others to the Magistrates of Shropshire (for
which county Sir Robert was also In the Commission of the Peace.)
Another was sent to the !leathery of War. In all of these were con-
Mined the most base and scandalous libels. It was not necessary to
enter into detain, as the libels themselves would be read. and he should
be able most clearly to prove the handwriting of Mr. Jobb. Sir R. Hill,
as be before said, finding that the letters began to multiply, and that there
appeared to be a regular system of underhand attack,doemed it necessary
Ito apply to the laws of his country, and in a court of justice vindicate
his wounded honour and reputation. It was not necessary to enter into
I the motives of the author of the libels, but, when a criminal infor-
mation was applied for, it would not have been granted unless Sir
Robert bad distinctly enied upon oath that the charges against him
were true. The letters were not only anonymous ones, but some of
'them bore the defendant's own signature, and they charged his gallant
client with committing offences of the most aggravated nature, and
which, if true, must necessarily expose him to the censure and disgust
of every honourable mind. The jury would think with him that the
character of honourable men was not to be attacked by anonymous
libellers with impunity. If it were, good character would be held on a
very slight tenure. It was part of the duty of Sir R. Hill, as Colonel
of a regiment, to punhase horses on the best terms for the public en.
vice, and those who knew the Royal Horse Guards knew that the very
best bones had been purchased ; indeed it was the pride of that regi-
ment, as they often hod to attend his blajesty, that the soldiers should
be well mounted. It was also part of the duty of a Colonel of a ngi-
meet when a hone was worn out to sell him for what was termed a east
hone." An order was issued during the time that Sir R. H. wee CoL
of the regiment to sell all the horses that were not wanted. Now it was
the practice of Sir R. Hill to purchase young horses, and keep them
until they were old enough for service s by this means a nnanable
leaving to the public was effected, even if they had been purchased at the
time of a horse dealer. It did appear, however, that some of the bones
that had been sold by Sir Robert, under the wider to which he had al-
luded, were subsequently bought at a public auedoo by CoL Hanwell,
for the same regiment. This was the pound en which the defendant
charged his client with fraud, in having sold hones ss " anthems" for
lOL and 151. each and upwards, and repurchasing them at thirty and
thirty-five pounds each. Another charge was, that Sir R. returned to the
War-office a fictitious number of 4mive men, and particularly al.
luded to a corporal named Turner, who was returned as on regular
duty, when, it was stated, be was at the time keeping a public-
house ; and the libel went on farther to state, that the Nemo of
this was to prevent Turner from giving publicity to the feet of Sir Ro-
bert Hill being detected In stealing wine belonging to the officers of the
regiment. Now the real fact was, that Turner was entitled to his dis-
charge in three months, and wishing topesomething ter his
family, he applied for, and obttneC ion of the =than.
ties to open a public-louse three months before be left the regiment.
This was the ground of a charge of fraud. There was another charge
spinet Sir Robert, and that was one of a most salons nottme..cme
which, if true, would subject him to the exematioa of mantled. It was
one of attempting to commit an act of beastiallty, and that, when be
was threatened to be knocked down stairs and exposed for it by a subal-
tern,
litede
IF :eel
submitted to the insult, thereby, as the writer said, ac.
know g his guilt. He would not disgust the jury with entering
into the of this charge. He was sure they would do their duty
to the public, to Sir Robert Hill, sad to their own consciences, by
finding the defendant guilty. After some further remarks, the Learned
Council called the following witnesses :
Sir Robert Hill examined by Mr. Wittman—ln 1810 he was
Liam-Coined of the Royal Hone Guards Blue, and commended them
to 1820; be has retired, but retains his rank as Colonel; when in the
regiment it was part of his duty to buy house he the rt, and to
sell such as were unfit for service, usually celled cast bones, and to
make returns to the Hone Guards of the state of the regiment; there
was a wigs of the name of Turner, a corporal of the regiment in 1890.
The ATTOILIIIT.OZNZRAL (who apps rd fin the defendant) de-
clined to eross-examine Sir Robert Hill.
Lord Hill examined by Sir J. kalllLlTT..4fe received several
letters; one at the Horse Gouda, and others in Merest parts of the
coon
Sirtikobert Peel was calla to prove the receipt of some leans, which
the Athelley-General said be was reedy to admit were in the hand.
writing of the defendant.
Mr. Hurst, paymaster tithe Mess since 1890, knew the die/sent
from 1520 to 18211, and bane Ms bed-writing well. The witness
proved the band-writing of he urethan to several anonymous letters.
Mr. Speed, Quarter moo of he Blase--Knew Mr. Jebb 14 or 15
years in the regiment. This whams ed the hand.teriting of de.
(cadent in several of the leans osatpLiard of.
Cross.examinsd 44the Arroanent-enrintas.—lle had entand as a
private soldier In 1 and was palmated in 1813. He saw the de.
Mdant write herndy.
Mr. Pyle, eke to Messrs. Cox and Greenwood, also proved the
hand-writing of the defendant.
Mr. Buxton, an attorney, was called for a similar
Mr. Wells also proved the wridadd Mr. Jobb. Croef the letters,
this witness said, were attempted tolse disguised.
The Isom were then read. In the, Sir helmet Hill was accused of
lamest conduct towards an ohm of the segbnost ei the name of Hill,
who wasiopossented as baring bided Ms Webers Hill down stairs, and
as havingsegentsi dm assault-1e the open Mesa the next day. Sir Ro-
bert was eke dthipl with horses at Flom from IM.
to 13L and buytog Imo besthellaleholltimirre of MIL also with making
Ades seems, -amd with being a semi Thin were a variety of other
ion mob la dire Lawn salmi Ilk last Hill, such as cruelty,
Filmy, Ike. and It was eke skied the lk Rebut 11111 bad been al-
breishei retire with his ask Is he komihrenes of his brother,
Lead MM. with the Duke et W =2.
The dud the case for the
lo waif so a episodes !etaAdethey.Osseral, Lord Hill mid he
had se doubt but hot be ha sent to his beetba immediately copies of
the letters which he kori received.
The ATIVIUMIPOIXRILAL. mid be kit great difficulty on this as
oho. He stood them to Mind a hest who bed served fifteen years
in the army, without a high ssasetien bit character, and at the
end of such servitude to la !himself dls id, or obliged to leave the
assiold it was no weeder that bin haw elhedd have been sore and
to away us sopenoloos idle be would afterwards re.
pet. But be was brereeiel by his dime that be bad never written
soda a the anonymous letters as awl he Robert Hill with :the
most heinous Wham Ho was willing se admit that three of ths let.
tors bad been written by Captain Jebb, lrat the rest be denied, and de.
tiled altogether that he was capable of such an act as writing aneoy.
mous letters. Ho (Sir Thomas Amman) was prepared to call several
witnesses from various classes of life, who word prove the high honour
and character which he had ever sustained, and they would also prove
that Mr. Jebb was of an open, frank, and even Impetuous temper, and
the man of all others the most unlikely to write anonymous letters, or
act in the least ender disguise towards an antagonist.
Colonel Cheney was that called by the ATTOINSINORMAL.—
Hos been in the service 35 years. He knows Mr. Jebb sines 1801, but
during the lest few years be had little intercourse with hint. Witness
always thought Mr. Jobb a gleman of the strictest integrity, and
had nova any:,reseert to thigh otherwise.
Mr. Charles P. Williams, bastimer, knew Mr. Jebb several years
ap, and has been lanai peetadertslly engaged for him. He looked
upon him seaman of high baser ma theencter, and more likely to
be guilt alai:nem:thy does any ekedeetke mak of attack.
Mr. GOVLIVIa bed Mews the defendant several years
bask, and acquaintance was mewl about three years ago t front
what he formerly imew of him, Ned from what be judged latterly, be
=tat Mr. Jobb was mere Ilhdy to commit a rash than a
act.

81r hinllll ficent.sys asclinsd to stidtses tits Jury for the prose-
cution.

Lord TZWTIRDZS, lamming up to the Jury, left it to them to
say whether they believed the anonymous letters to be in tbe hand
writing ot the defendant t if they did they would then find him guilty
on all the Mit&

Guilty diet The Jar y , after deliberating a few minutes, returned a rand vet-
of .