Star.
London, England, 1824-01-26 00:00:00

LAW IA 1 EI,LIGEACE.

COURT OF KING'S BENCIT, JANUARY 04.
GAMBLERS.—TIIN KING V. FIELDER.
In this case the defendant had been convicted on one
count, which set forth the keeping of a common gaming-
house, in the parish of St. James, which was not the pa-
rish; and convicted on another count which set forth no
parish. A rule to chew cause why judgment should not
be arrested, on the ground that it was necessary to set
forth the parish, had been obtained in the la,t Term.
Mr. ATTORNEY-GENERAL now shewed cause, and
contended that the parish was not necessary, if the local
situation was sufficiently strewn, and the venue given
in the town.—Mr. Anotenus supported the objection.
The .Coultv took time to decide, and directed the
Attorney-General to move for judgment upon another
conviction. TheArroircue-Geseuatmovedaccordingly.
Mr. Justice BayLey read his notes of the trial in 1817.
The indictment was for keeping No. 9, • Bennet-stn eet,
&. George's, Hanover-square, a house for rouge el noir.
``they played "from ten at night till after three, some-
raimes six in'the•merning. Hazard was once played, and
Orr Godley AVebster won %/W.,:
Mr. Auckanus. applied for:tirne•to prepare affidavits.
Mr. ArroaNEY-GEN§RAL conlented.
Next Thursday was fixed: the rdefendant was, in the
meantime,' ordered into die ctistddy• of the Marshal of
the Marshalsea.
THE KING V. OLDFIELD AND BENNET.
The defendants appeared to receive the judgment of
die Court, having been found Guilty, on several indict-
ments, of keeping a common gaming-house in Pall-mall.
Mr. AD44.Vti Us addressed the Court in mitigation of
punishment, and called the :r.teation of. the Judges to
the punishment which the ckleadants had already suf-
fered.' They had been some time in custody, hiving
been sentenced to pay a fine of 1,0001. each, and undergo
twelve month: ifornisonment.
Affidavits were read, in which the defendants threw
their families upon the mercy of the Court, and stated,
that longer confinement, in their then bad state of health,
must be productive of the most fatal con,equences.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL was heard in support of
the prosecution.
Mr. Justice BAYLEY, in delivering the sentence, ob-
served, that the Court bad attended to all the affidavits,
and in consequence of the alleged dangerous state of
health of the defendants, they were disposed not to or-
der longer imprisonment. The defendants had no doubt
been the means of spreading misery and desolation in
Families by the encouragement they had afforded that
most de,tructive vice, gaming, and the Court could not
discharge its duty unless they strongly marked the of-
fence. The sentence would no doubt involve the fami-
lies of the defendants in distress, but that would be little
compared to the wide mischief these gaming-houses had
produced among society. The date of the convictions
being previous.to the Act which empowered the C..urt to
order hard labour, they could not apply that punishment.
The Learned JUDGE then proceeded to pass the sen-
tence of the Court on the defendants. For the offence
of which Old field bad been alone convicted, the sen-
tence was that he should pay a fine of £5OO. For the
next offence, of which they had been both convicted,
Oldfield was sentenced to pay a tine of 1:1500, and Ben-
net a fine of 1:2000 ; and for the third, they were sen-
tenced to pay each a further fiae of £lOOO, and each to
give security for his good behaviour for five years, them-
selves in 10,0001. and two sureties in 2000/. each, and be
imprisoned until the fines were paid and securities found.
Mr. SCARLETT obtained a rule to strew cause why a
criminal information should not issue against four per-
sons—Sauthgate, Rich, Tient, and Mills, for obstruc-
tion of the Mayot's Court. in Gravesend.
THE KING V. TRUST.
An affidavit by the defendant was read. It stated
that he sold works in favour of Chi istianity-,-that he
sold few copies of Palmer's Principles of .‘niure, and
that be had suffered very severe losses by the prosecution,
and that he was willing to give up all atheistical books.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL remarked, that he haA not
stated to what place he had removed the books.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL agreed to send some per-
son with Trust, to ascertain what he had done with the
books, and what value they were of, in order that the
sacrifice he had made might be fairly before the Court.

DEAF AND Duma.—ln general, no cases are more
frequently given up in despair than those of deafness and
dumbness; but where no original organic malformation
exi-ts, such defects should not be regarded as irrem:di-
able. Three cases have lately come under the care of
Mr. J. HAMIUSON C calls; the Surgeon to the Royal Dit-
pensary for Diseases of the Ear—one of them, a young
man, nineteen years of age, who, front an attack of in-
flammat, ry fever, had been deaf and dumb thirteen
years, is now able to hear and speak ; the two others, a
boy and girl, each about tour years old, are likewise
able to hear and speak, although tone of them was born
dea! ant d m cm dun Medical Repository.