Star.
London, England, 1824-05-20 00:00:00

LAW REPORT.
............--

COVET OF KING'S BENCH, MAY 19.
TOE KING 11. THE PARISH OF HALLOW.
This was an apreal against the decision of the Ses-
sio ,s, Finding that a servant, who had been imprisoned
in the Flouse of Correction within the year, bad not
galled a settlement. A rule to she,/ cause against the
decision had been obtained.
Messrs. ItcssELL and RYAN supported the order of
the Sessinns, and referred to several cases, to shew that
imprisonment for misconduct prevented the gaining of
a settlement. These decisions were founded upon the
20th George [I. chip. 19. It was admitted that the
principles of common sense had nothing to do with the
law of settlement.
Mr. NOLAN contended that the service of the year
was not interrupted by the imprisonment, because the
master himself had thought proper to get his servant im-
prisoned, as the alternative for not making an apology.
The .tuonEs gave their opinions in order, and at
some length. The Act of 20th George 11. applied only
to imprisonment for misconduct on the part of a ser-
vant, which put it nut of the power of the master to
have the service of his servant. In this case there ap-
peared to has•e been an understanding between the
master and the Magistrate, as to the mode of punish-
ment. The servant had been a day absent from his
master's service without leave. The master might have
disinisscd him, or pressed the Magistrate to discharge
him; but he had not done either. After his imprison-
ment be took him back, and was bound to take him
back. The relation of master and servant had not been
dissolved, and the period of imprisonment must there-
fore be considered as a period of service to his master.
The year terminated two days before the servant was
discharged from prison, but having been uninteruptedly
in his master's service, lie must be held to have gained
a legal settlement.—Rule made absolute.

HIGH COURT OF ADMIRALTY.

THE ELIZA ANN.

This was an appeal from the Vice-Admiralty Court
of Jamaica, which had condemned the above vessel,
with its cargo, for a violation of the 28th Geo.
Which prohibits the importation of corn, &c. into any of
our Colonial possessions, except the same be British
property, and in a itish vessels properly manned. It
appeared that a quantity of corn and flour had been
conveyed in the Virginia Ross, which is an American
vessel, commanded by Captain Lowe, from the United
States to Cuba, and there landed on the pier, from
whence it Was immediately shipped on board the British
vessel, the Eliza Ann, and in that vessel conveyed to
Jamaica, Captain Lowe accompanying the vessel in the,
capacity of supercargo. On the Eliza Ann reaching
the port of Falmouth, in Jamaica, a seizure of the ves-
sel and cargo was made, on the ground that the pro-
perty in the corn remaining in an American subject, its
importation was prohibited.
On behalf of the appellants it was contended by Dr.
LUSHINGTONI that the 58th Geo. 111. had so far modi-
fied the 28th of the same king, as to allow the impor-
tation of corn and pulse in British vessels, from either
the foreign Colonial possessions, or from the Continent
of America, without requiring the cargo to be the pro-
perty of a British subject. He also denied that the cir-
cumstances of the case justified the inference that the
property in the corn remained in an American after the
shipment from Cuba.
His Majesty's ADVOCATE admitted the question to be
one of considerable importance, and on which he was
free to confess that a difference of opinion prevailed be.'
tween his Majesty's Advocate, and the Attorney-(ie-
sweat of Jamaica. In reviewing the whole circum-
stances of the case, he contended drat no doubt could
exist but that the property in the corn remained in Mr.
Lowe at the time of its being brought to Jamaica ; and
that the designating Mi• Luse supercargo was a mere
subterfuge. lie denied that the 58th Geo. 111. took the
case out of the operation ef the :,'Stir. The latter sta-.1
tute was onl) meant to apply in cases where the impor-
tation took place the eotire distance. from the place of
growth in a British vessel; and he contended that the
conveying of a cargo a put of the way in a foreign
vessel, and thence transhipping it iato a British vessel;
was not a compliance with the spirit and true meaning
of the 58th Geo. 111. and could not therefore protect
the vessel from the penal liabilities of the 2Sth.
Dr. Lusulacrom in teply, argued that the 58th Geo.
HI. would not admit of the construction attempted to
be given to it by his Majesty's Advocate.
Lord S rOwELL announced his intention of pronounc-
ing judgment on the next Court Jay.

CONTINENTAL SOClETL—Yesterday the Anniversary
Meeting of the Society tor the promotion of Christianity
on the Continent, was held at the Crown and Anchor
Tavern. Upwards of 'A$)O attended. Sir THOMAS
BARING in the Chair. The report stated, that during
the last rear great progress had been made by the
efforts of the Society's agents on the Continent. By
means of the co'porteurs or book-agents, vast numbers
of Bibles, Testaments, and Tracts, in the vernacular
tongue, had been circulated in Tournay, Grenoble, and
13a) onne, and several parts of the Netherlands; in the
west of Germany, Switzerland, Genoa, and the Cantons
of Vaud and Berne. As soon as the Authorities in •
Switzerland discovered the success of the mission, they
pursued the agent as an enemy and an incendiary. The
Council of Lausanne issued an edict against him. One
of the officers of the Society had nitt.le an incursion into
Spain againq sueertition, with a small army of 3CO
Bibles and Testament,, be,ides a number oflight troops
in the shape of Tracts. He penetrated to the walls of
Mad:id, and di•chaiged into it his 500 copies, under the
protection of the French military—(Applause). During
the war, an agent got into Cadiz, and proceeded to dis-
tribute, but was apprehended, and cast into a dungeon,
on a charge of sedition. One of his tracts was headed,
Gon sends JESUS CHRIST to sinners, with laws of
peace to the conscience." The wise Governor discovered
'what no one but himself could dream of, that die design of
the tract was to overthrow the Govemment. The agent
probably owed his life to the taking of Cadiz, but he'
was ordered to Bait the country instantly. At Milan,
Mr. Tartar° lingered under sentence of death for dis-
tributing Bibles. He was tried for Carbonic
and the proof was, that he had circulated the “ible.—
The report concluded with a recommendation that tin:
exertions of the Society should be strenuously persevered
in. It was received with great applause. Air. DRUM-
moND, the banker, moved that it should be received ;
and Mr. SpF.Ncea PcncevAt. seconded the motion. "1. he
Rev. Mr. CI.:RNINGIIAM and other Gentlemen spoke.
The iep,rt ssas received and a collection was made t
the dow.i.

METROPOLITAN LITERARY INSTITUTION.

Yesterday evening the Anitiversary•Festival of the
above Institution was held at the London Coffee-house;
Ludgate-hill, when a numerous company attended;
S!ieriff WHITTAKER in the Chair, who was supported
by several persons of distinction.
In the course of the evening a Mr. Saunders rose to!
propose the health. of the Chairman. He was one of
the foremost among the Members who were anxious to
raise the Institution to a degree of eminence, and
through whose exertions it was every day gaining
ground. After eulogizing the Chairman, he remarked,
that the high and official duties he had to perform
were sufficient to occupy his sole attention, and when
he lent his assistance to this they were doubly indebted
to him. He concluded by proposing the health of
Sheriff Whittaker.
The CHAIRMAN rose to return thanks. In rendering
his support to the Institution, lie conceived that he was
only performing a duty consistent with his heart and
feelings, and he contemplated a period of the present
Institution that would vie with the most eminent.
Mr. THossesori proposed " The memory of Lot d
Byron," which was drank in solemn silence.
In the course of the evening several speeches were de-
livered in praise of the Institution, and the company
'continued in the utmost conviviality until a late hour.

THE LATE RAINS.

We stated on Tuetday, that some buildings had been
destroyed at Deptford, and it now appears that the-da-
mage was to a greater extent than was at first imagined.
Early on Saturday evening the water poured itself from
all parts into Deptford Creek, swelling it to a height
never before known, and creating much alarm in the
minds of the neighbours. At night the water had
clogged up the arch, and pouring over the bridge,
formed itself into a pool on the road ; to pass and re-
pass was impossible ; carts were brought out for the
passengers convenience, and for a penny or two-pence
a head carried them through the town. At the collier
of the Creek stood a house inhabited by a poor widow ,
woman named Graves, and six children; the water
having risen to her door, she felt much alarmed for her
own safety and that of her children, and came outside
of the house; scarcely had her foot left the threshold
when the whole building fell into the Creek, carrying
with it her furniture and stock in trade, consisting
chiefly of child-bed linen. ller children were fortu-
nately rescued by her neighbours. The house on the
opposite side of the Creek next felt the shock. It was
occupied by Mr. Davis, a grocer, as a warehouse; the
wall having fallen, the water entered the warehouse,
and not fewer than twelve hogsheads of sugar were car-
ried down the stream. This was followed by a hogs-
head of raw coffee; next floated a Loge heavy waggon,
and lastly some truck wheels. The stream carrying
these things down with velocity, they struck against
the wall of Langford's floor-cloth manufactory, which
immediately fell, and part of the stock floated away.
The adjoining leather factory of Mr. Brown, unable to
stand the shock, partly fell, and the stream washed
away a great quantity of leather. The owners of these
warehouses were immediately on the alert, but the
water cantintring so high and rapid, it was found im-
possible to recover any of the property. At length day-
light broke, and discovered the disasters of the pre-
ceding night. The unfortunate witlow's residence was
entirely swept assay, but taro of her beds were picked
up, about a quarter of a mile down the stream. The
floor cloth and leather were scattered in all directions,
and a barge having been sent down, it was in a. short
time loaded with those articles, but in a damaged state.
'The hogsheads were also picked up, but their contents
having imbibed the water, were wined to molasses,
rendering it unfit for sale. The waggon which was
can ied away was also restored in a shattered condition.
But in this general calamity, none seemed to have suf-
fered so much as a miller named Carver, living lower
down the Creek. To carry on the business of his mill
an embankment had been formed across the Creek, in
order that the water should run through his mill ; un-
fortunately, however, the water came with such vio-
lence that it threatened total destruction to the mill, and
in a short time washed away the embankment. Exclu-
sive of this loss, which renders it impossible to carry on
his business,. the mill is much damaged. An estimate
has been made of his loss, amounting to 2,5001. Mr.
Langford, the floor-cloth-manufacturer, also, com-
putes his loss at 1,1001. Mr. Brown, the currier, 7001.
and Mr. Davis, the grocer, at 500/. forming, in the
whole, a sum of 4,800/. exclusive of the poor widow's
total destruction of her furniture, and trifling stock in
trade, which procured her living. It is a singular cir-
cumstance, that during a heavy thaw about 15 years
since, a similar flood tarok place at the Creek, and the
house which the widow inhabited was then thrown down,
but no damage was done to the other buildings, as on
this occasion.