Star.
London, England, 1825-07-02 00:00:00

-I)LehrREPORT.

COURT OF KING'S BRNCII, JULY 1.
LIBEL -•-•11E6101RS OF mtamairris 'Wll.ilol2t
/MORE V. STOCKDA Lite
Mr. JONES, in opening the plea lings, stated, that
this was an action brought by the plaintiff,. yitlio is a
s• aluary and stone-mason in Piccadilly, to recover from
the defendant, will is a publisher and bookseer in the
Royal Colonade, coMperoati-n in damages.
for injury sustained by him, in consequence of the de-
fendant having published a false and malicious libel
upon the character of the plaintiff, in a work entitled
The Memoirs of Harriette Wilson.. The defendant
pleaded the general issue.
Mr. SCARLETT, in stating the case for the plaintiff,
read the libel, which was contained in a letter alleged
to have been written by Harriette Wilson's sister Fanny,
then the kept mistress of Captain Parker, and in which
she stated.that she had just declined an offer of mar-
riage ma 'e to her by the plaintiff, and that the plain-,
tiff, in making her the offer, told her " that he would
have no objection to her taking a little pleasure on
Sundays, and wearing the Lest of everything ;" " that
a role husband would he better than those here fellows
of officers; "they rsust for the present mind the main
chance, but that he expected hereafter to have his with?,
&c." A litiel more calcul tted, said Mr. Searl tt, to
raisturb the plaintiff's domestic comrort could not be
penned, becatise at the very time when this offer was
stand to have been made, the plaintiff was a married
roan, and the fatlr of a family.
J. E. Rohincon, the clerk of the plaintiff's attorney, proved that
be purchased the Number of the Memoirs containing the libel, at
the defendant's shop, for halfa-crown.
Cross-examined by the defendant.—Do you know who is the
actual promoter of this action?—dlr. Blore.
Isn't be the agent of some other person?—No, certainly not.
Mr. Smith, a linen-draper, in Piccadilly, proved that
he had known the plaintiff for several years; that at the
time mentioned in the libel the plaintiff was a married
man, and had children. He knew the father of liar.
riette Wilson ; his name was Debouchet ; and he kept a
shop in Queen-street, May-fair. He knew Fanny Tay-
lor, the sister of Harriette Wilson; he believed she
might, if living, be now about 38 years old.
Cross-examined by the defendant.—The plaintiff has sons, the
eldest of whom is about 25 years of age, and the second son about
a year or two younger.
Mr. Robinson produced the register of the baptism of Fanny Be-
bouchet, at St. George's Church, on the 10th of April, 1782.
Mrs. Trigg proved that, about eighteen years ago, " Fanny"
lived as the kept mistress of Captain Parker.
Int son of the defendant's printer, and the porter of Sherwood
and Co. proved that there were upwards of 7000 copies of the
Memoirs printed, and that there was a great demand for them.
The libel WA/ then put in and read.
Mr. Stockdale, in his defence, read from a manu-
script, which he held in his hand. He said that this
action was the result of a combination to crush him:
entered into between the parties who were "ahewn up
in those Memoirs." He could riot, in consequence of the
death of Fanny Parker, have put a justification upon
the record, but lie would do so iii case other actions
should be commenced against him. He denied that it
was clear front the evidence, that the plaintiff, who had
a son of the same name, was the person spoken of in the
alleged libel ; but even if it were, he contended that it
was nothing more than a description of his manner of.
making an offer of marriage, and therefore he (defend.-
an ) was entitled to a verdict.
Robert Blore, jun. was called, and examined by Mr. Stockdale.
—He never saw Fanny Parker; he never propOsed marriage to her.
The Hon. George Laub was now called, but not answering,
Mr. Stockdale said, my Lord, Ithall consider the absence of any
person subptenaed as proceeding front a special cause.
The Loan Curer Jusvicv.—l would advise you, Mr. Stockdale,
to abstain front this' line of defence.—lt would not do you any good
to prove that some parts of this book are true.
Mr. Stockdale, after some hesitation acceded.
Mr. Jones here called Mr. John Robinson, the plaintiff's attorney,
to contraditt the allegations in which Mr. Stockdale had charged
him with writing the letter in the British Lion.
Mr. Robinson cross-examined by Mr. Stockdale.—Does not re.
member to have seen the British Lion; has no connection with it.
The Loan Curer JUSTICR.—You may now reply, Mr. Stockdale,
on the new evidence which has been. put in by the plaintiff.
Nr. Stockdale accordingly made a few unimportant observations.
Mr. JONEs.—Gentlemen, I shall not so far offend your
good taste, or waste your time, as to follow Mr. Stock-
dale through his long address and irrelevant details. I
shall only advert to one or two facts. It is said by the
defendant, that there is a combination against him; not
a tittle of proof is given that this is the fact. The only
attempt to prove it is a letter written by Mr. Robinson
to the Editor of the British Lion. Mr. Robinson is put
into the box, and denies all knowledge of it. The letter
is plainly an imposture, add if there was any question
as to who wrote it, you would readily perceive who the
writer was, and that it was written for the very purposes
of this day. What do you think of a man who was a
bankrupt, and takes such' a means as the publication of
these Memoirs to restore his fortunes? Again, look at

Lis line of defence; he throws obloquy and ridicule on

the plaintiff, by every means he possibly can.
The LORD CHI ge JUSTICI summed up.—Gentlemen
*of the Jury, he said—l must begin by telling you, that
every man is entitled to protection from foul and inde-
cent slanders, su:li as duke contained in this libel. The
first po:nt is the publication by Mr. Stockdale, which is
not denied; and it it were, it 114 s been provill. It has
been attempted to sliew that this libel applies to the son,
and not to the father. 1 think you will see that thete is
no ground lot- such a supposition. Then he represents
this.as the first of a series of acts to oppress and ruin
bim. There is no proof of any such combination. In
estimating kluges, you will consider the way is which
Mr. Stockdale has defended himself. You have heard
all his observations on the plaintiff, none of them cer-
tainly calculated to sooth his wounded feelings, but to
aggravate them as much as possible.
The Jury, after consulting about ten minutes, returned a verdict
for the plantar—Damages X3OO.

PREROGATIVE COURT, JULY 1.
•
HOLYORD V. SUTTON.
Thomas Roberts, Esq. late an eminent stockbroker,
died suddenly at his house in Russell square, in the
month of May last. On the 14th of April, 1824, the
deceased had executed bis will in duplicate. He kept
both parts in his own possession, and upon his death one
was found with some pencil alterations made by the de-
ceased himself, in the margin. The question wa , whe-
ther the will with these pencil alterations could be ad-
mitted to probate? The case having been argued, the
Court was of opinion that these marginal notes ought to
be.considered as additional bequests, and that it would
carry the intentions of the testator into effect, by pro.
Bouncing for the will will the marginal alterations.

LONDON UNIVERSITY.

.•••••0111

A Public Meeting was held yesterday at the tit); of
London Tavern, for the purpose of establishing a
University in London. At one o'clock tile room was
crowded to excess, by a most respectable assemblage
of L .dies and Gentlemen. At two o'clock the Lon >
Mayon entered the room, and was iinmeJiately elected
to the Chair.

His Lordship addressed the Meeting, and said, in
compliance with a very numerously signed requisition
of his fellow-citizens, be had called this Meeting ;
and he should leave it to those who supported the
measure, to explain their views with respect to it.--
He hoped it would be clearly understood, that in taking
the Chair, he did not contemplate that there was any
thing connected with the proposed Institution, that
would in any way militate again.t the establ shed Re-
ligion of the Country. If he had entertained a suspi-
cion even of its having such a, tendency, he would
have been far indeed from presiding at any Meeting
for its formation.
Mr.-Cox, the Secretary, then stated the outline of
the plan of the proposed Institution, which was to be
called the London University. It was to be opened
for nine or ten months in the year—it was to be a Cola
t lege for the purpose of teaching Literature, and Sci-
ence, and Medicine—it was to be governed by a Chac.
cellor and a Vice-Chancellor, to be elected every two
years, and by a Council of 2 t persons, to bs elected
from amongst the Shareholders annually ; donors of
50/. to have the same privileges as Shareholders for
lite. The Capital propo ed was SOO,OOO/. which it
was calculated would meet all exigencies. It wat pro-
posed to raise this sum by 3000 Shares of 100/. each:
It might, perhaps, happen, that from 60 to 73 per
Cent. ualy might be required to be advanced upon
the Shares for the establishment of the University, and
the remainder would be reserved for incidental ex-
penses. No person was to have more than ten Shares,
live of which would confer two votes, ten would ccn-
fer three, and the Shareholders were es receive 5 per
Cent. interest upon their Shares. The sums given as
Donations, were to be laid out. in Government Securi-
ties, to form a Sinking Fund for redeeming the Shares.
Mr. J. SMITH regretted the absence of Mr. Brougham,
and said, that no other circumstance could induce him
to offer himself to their notice. Intellectual improve-
ment had been making rapid strides for the last few
years; but complaints had been made, that there was
no possibility of giving young men of moderate fortune
the- me..ns of a University education. He had no in-
tention of reflecting upon our present Universities; but
the expenses attending an education at those places
were greater than could be defrayed by those who had
but limited incomes. The Honourable Gentleman then
proposed the-first resolution.
Mr. BROUGHAM at this moment entered the roam,
amidst the loudest cheers and acclamations, which con-
tinued for some minutes. When they had somewhat
attbsided he addressed the Meeting. He felt the greatest
possible satisfaction at meeting his fellow-citizens, for
he too had the honour of being a Citizen of London;
but upon no occasion had he ever experienced so much
gratification as at that moment, for his whole heart was
centred in the subject which called them together.
No man who valued the best.interests of society, could
look with apathy at an effort to -raise the middling,
classes of society to that staticn which they ought to
occupy—to confer upon them the blessings of literature,
without which gold was as dross—rank an empty bauble,
and power not a happiness but an injury to mankind.
When theMechanics'lnstitute was established, some time
since, under the auspices of Dr..Birkbeck, it occurred
to many persons, that one consequence of that measure
would be, that those who were called the lower orders,
would be making rapid advances, such as had not even
been dreamed of by our forefathers, while those who
called themselves the upper classes on account of rank,
and wealth, and power, could no longer do so unless
they were superior in virtue and in knoWledge—( Loud
cheers). While their carpenters and their masons were
-taught to reason upon scientific matters, the middling
.classes, who gave them employment, would be them-
selves unable W attain that which was within the reach
of their inferiors, as regarded station in society. This
would be excessively ridiculous, but it would be the
case, nevertheless, if no steps were taken to counteract it,
He (Mr. B.) had consulted with a man, whose name was,
a tower of strength, and who was one of. the greatest
poets of his day—he meant Mr. T. Campbell—(Chters)
—also with Mr. Hobhouse and others, and found, as it
often happened, that while they were consulting upon
the subject, other worthy individuals, Dissenters, were
actually speculating upon the foundation of a•Univer-
sky ; they Fined together, for Dissenters and Church-
men were all friends to knowledge—( Loud cheers). The
object was to teach literature, and, whether Churchman
or Dissenter, they should be taught in the same way.
They agreed to leave out Theology; to leave it to Ox-
ford and Cambridge, from no desire to undervalue i:s
importance, for the Council were to have an absolute,
power of suspending and removing Professors for teach-
ing any doctrine inconsistent with the duty of good sub-
jects, and a proper reverence for religion. Parents in
London were deterred from sending their children to
Oxford or Cambridge, even where they could aff ad it,
by a disinclination to send them out of the current of
rule. He had heard" that London was an immoral*
place, but he would rather keep his children beneath
Ihis eye, than send them to the most moral places in the
world, not excepting even Oxford and Cambridge—
(Loud laughter). The Hon. Gentleman concluded an
eloquent address, by eulogising the present Chief Ma-
gists ate of the City, and said, that however men might
differ on minor subjects of politics, &:. still all; were
friends to science, which was of no party.—Mr. B. then
lett the room amidst loud cheers.
Sir J. MACKINTOSH proposed the second Resolution,,
with which he most cordially coincided. Considering
die nature of the subject, the eloquent address they had
just heard, and his own strength, he should not feet
it necessary to occupy more than a few minutes of their
attention. Toe use argument in support of the Insti.;
tution was to overlay proofs ; to illustrate was only'
to endeava ur to make clear that than which nothing
could be clearer. London owed more of its greatness
to its knowledge, and to its liberty, which was the
forerunner of knowledge, titan to any other cause what-
ever, and its citizens might a el be proud that its inte-
rests had been advanced by tlit,se causes which tended
to reodtr 'mankind better and happier—(Cheers). The
ground within ten miles of where they were hen as-
sembled, contained upiiards'of 1,20;4,000 persons, and
he might safely assert, that' there was not so large 4e,
"ere'

it followed of course that there was not upon earth a
place so well constituted for an University Is the City
of•London—(Cheers).
Mr. T. CAMPBELL said, that no person could feel
more than he did the difficulty he was, placed in by
succeeding such speakers as the Hon. Gentlemen who
had just addressed them; but he would not shrin.k from
that which he deemed a duty, however painful might
be its exercise. The symptoms of enthusiasm he bad
htherto witnessed amongst the assembly, be viewed as
a pledge of the success of the Institution. All objections
which he had ever heard to such an University, he
looked upon as frivolous and futile. There were only
three Capitals in Europe destitute of an University—
Constantinople, Madrid, and, he regretted to say, Lon-
don formed the third. That Madrid should be without
such an Institution, was only consistent with its political
state, governed as it was by a hateful despotism, and
its accursed Inquisition ; but was it fitting that London
should be without—London, which exercised such in-
fluence, not only over the measures of the nation, but
also over the world ?—London was the place where
polish. was acquired.that polish which, while it dis-
played the brilliancy, affected no: the solidity, of the
diamond. Mr. Campbell then proposed the next Reso-
lution, which was seconded by Lord John Russell, who
shortly addressed the meeting upon the advantages of
such an Institution.

The Rev. Mr. Ft,ErcnEn, in proposirkg the next Re-
solution, said, that the. various Theological'lnsmutions
of the Metropolis rendered it inexpedient to introduce
the subject of theology amongst those intended to he
taught at the projected University.
Mr. ABERCRobISIE congratulated the Meeting upon
what they were then doing, the re,ult of which would
be, to raise London to as high a character for litera-
ture as it had already attained to for wealth and com-
merce. The other Universities might disapprove of
the establshment of the London, but he believed that
not a single individual would be withdrawn from Ox-
ford or Canatnidge, while numbers would receive those
benefits which they could not otherwise avail them-
selves of--(( Ater:).
Mr. J. L. Gotarmio professed his earnest wishes to give all the
support in his power to the proposed Institution.
In order to save the time of the Meeting, the Secretary read the
remainder of the Resolutions, which were proposed by Mr. B.
SHAW, and carried unanimously.
Mr. J. Wurs proposed the thanks of the Meeting to the Lord
Mayor, for his praiseworthy and liberal conduct in the Chair.
Dr. BIREBECK, in rising to second the Resolution,
said, that he had been charged, with beginning at the
feet instead of the head, by the foundation of the Me-
chanics' Institute; but he congratulated the Meeting
that a remedy was about to be applied, and that the
opportunity would now be given of still preserving the
proper distinction between the middling and lower
classes of society, for by the establishment of the Lon-
don University those classes would still preserve the
same reptive situation towards each other.
Mr. Below; at this moment entered the room, and
being loudly called for, presented himself to the Meet-
ing. He had, he said, been taken by surprise the
moment he entered the room—indeed, even the pro-
fession of which he was a member, had never so
suddenly laid its talons upon its victim—(Laughier).
He was, however, rejoiced to hear from all classes that
the cause of science had been advocated in a most
eloquent manner. He could sympathize with the talent
by which it had been thus advocated, and he con-
gratulated the meeting upon the cause in which they
had that day embarke.l. Education would be no longer
confined to those who were already sufficiently dis-
tinguished by rank and fortune—(Cheers). He would
abstain from discussion, ignorant as he was of what
had already been said upon the subject ; but he would
declare, he never felt his own connection with the City
so proudly as at that moment—(Loud cheers). The
Hon. Member concluded by cordially coinciding in the,
Vote of Thanks to their worthy Chief Magistrate, who
presided in the Chair.
Mr. Gurney then shortly addressed the Meeting'; after which
the Lord Mayor returned thanks, and the Meeting adjourned.
Amongst the individuals present, besides those whom we have
already named, we noticed Lord Nugent, Mr. Hume, Mr. T.
S. Rice, Mr. Alderman Wood. and Mr. Hobhouse.
werommommuium

Tuesday, SINJAMIN HOLLAND, Esq. WaS admitted to
the freedom of Hull, upon the payment of 500 guineas.
As **proof of the increasing population of the Russian
Empit e, we may mention, that in nine eparchies, the pro.
portion of births and deaths in 1823, was as'follows :
Births, 529,427 ; deaths, 277,875; excess of births,
'251,554. Among the deaths, are recorded ten indivi-
duals above 110 years of age, and one Who attained the
age of 130.
In theprincipal' streets of St. Petersburgh they are
laying down wooden ways on both sides, on which the
carriages run stnoOth and without noise. Such' ways are
now Making in the Newsky Perspective, and will be
continued to gatskojeselo. Stich roads were laid down
last summer from the city to Kammenoz Ostroff, and
gave general satisfaction. The first expense is paid by
the'lmperial Treasury ; the future repairs-will be de-
frayed by the householders.
The residence of an old woman named Popplewell,
in Mortimer-street, was, with its furniture, entirely
destroyed by the late fire in that neighbourhood. The
woman was in her 90th year, and formerly lived in the
service of ihe Printess AMELIA ; and her husband was
'basket° she Princess. She had formerly been-one of
Lthe housemaids to GEORG' 11.

At the Middlesex Sessions, yesterday, 7 hands-Pea,
Wink* Peto, and James Green, were sentenced to.
Tour months' imprisonment, for maltreating a constable
whilst preventing a fight,. on a Sunday morning.. One
or two cases of passing counterfeit coin, 'were also
punished 'with imprisonment.
Wednesday se'nnight, a singular and interesting cause
was debated before Lord. &ow, Ordinary, in which
the landholders of Shetland, and the freeholders of
Orkney, ate the parties. It appears that the former
have for a considerable period been ereluded from any
share in the election of the Representatives to Parlit
Mint for the Stewaitry of Oikney and Zetland, in con-
sequence of the valuation of that portion of the island
never having been divi.!ed amongst the several lseritorh
and the Orkney freeholders have 'hitherto opposed
Parliament, and now resist that subdivision. The;
'object of the present 'action is to accomplish it by legal
means. 1:1:e Lord Ordinary .expressed an opinion
favourable to the pursuers, and directed a condescend-
ence to be put in, for the purpose of rendering the
judgment to be. given rm re specific that, it could be on
the first pleading. •
Yesterday afternoon, at three o'clnck,therPoll for the
Election of Sheriffs finally terminated, when the min-
bort were as follow