Star.
London, England, 1823-08-07 00:00:00

pens to themselves, no pains are sparsd,and no means
are unemployed to misrepresent the facts to the pre-
judice of the persons in the preventive service. If,
therefore, by their arms upon the coast, or by their
swearers in a Court of Justice, they can deter us from
the performance of our duty, they will smuggle with
impunity, and all the laws for the protection of the
Customs will have been passed in vain."
. Several witnesses were called for the prisoner, and
Mr. Serjeant Ottst.ow, commending the dispas-
sionate manner in which the case had been conducted
on the part of the prosecution, directed the Jury to
find a verdict of Not Guilty.
The prisoner was immediately acquitted, and or-
dered to be discharged.

DEVON.
SYNE V. BYNE.
This was an action of trover brought by the plain.
tiff, as widow and administratrix of Henry Byne, Esq,
late of Satterleigh, in this county, to recover from the
defendant, who was the son of the deceased by a for-
nier wife, two boxes, containing title-deeds and
other papers..
Mr. WILDE, after stating the readiness of the plain-
tiff to submit the whole matter in dispute to a Gen-
tleman of the Bar, which was declined by the de.
feedant's Attorney, opened the case; and after.com-
menting severely on the conduct of the defendant,
called Mr. Gribble, a banker of Barnstaple, who
stated that plaintiff deposited with him, in the.early
part of 1822, two boxes for safe keeping, and that
they remained with him until-the 26th of last May,
when they were delivered to the defendant. Witness
preyed that the boxes were heavy, but could not
speak to their contents. George Rendall, a chaise-
driver, proved taking the boxes from the Bank, and
driving them, with plaintiff, to the defendant'shouse,
where the boxes were left, and on the following day
defendant refused to deliver them up to plaintiff—.
A letter was then produced, written by defendant,
dated the 28th of May, stating that he had secured
the boxes, as the deeds contained therein belonged to
him, as heir at law of his deceased father, and offer-
ing to give up any part of their contents which might
belong to plaintiff. Mr. Tanner, of Soutlimolton,
plaintiff's Attorney, proved demanding the boxes on
the 29th of May, the day after the letter was written
by the defendant, and that the defendant denied then
having taken or having seen them, or that he knew
anything about them; and that his wife, in his pre-
sence, also made a similar declaration, and observed,
that if the' plaintiff fancied he had any of the boxes,
she had better do her best or her worst to obtain
them. Witness also proved that Mr. lticcard, de-
fendant's Attorney, on the same day, avowed having
them, and that defendant held them as heir at law
of the deceased.
The case was closed on the part of the plaintiff by
proving a notice delivered to the defendant's attorney,
to produce the boxes and papers mentioned in the
pleadings in the action.
Mr. Serjeant PELL conducted the defence, and en-
deavoured to enforce on the minds of the Jury, that
as no evidence had been produced to slim the con-
tents of the boxes, damages only for their value
should be awarded, but called no witnesses.
The Learned JUDOE summed up the evidence by
observing, that during fifty years experience he had
never heard of so gross an act as the defendant's, as
to the mode of getting possession of the deeds. The
letter appeared to be a trick of the defendant's, writ-
ten with no other view than to give a colour to his
defence, under'the impression that it might be read
in evidence; for on the following day he denied hav-
ing seen the boxes, and bad refused to give them up,
or produce them on the trial, although a
.notice for
that purpose had been given. The defendant might
be considered, in the eye of the law, as a 'speliator.
—His Lordship differed from the Learned Serjeant,
that damages only for the value of the wood of the
boxes ought to be given, and thought thatikbe Jury
should award such damages as would ensure a return
of the boxes and their contents. The Learned Judge,
after animadverting severely on the defendant's con-
duct, left it to the Jury to determine the damages.
The Jury, after a short consultation, delivered their
veiclict in favour of the plaintiff—Twenty I Acrusaa
Pounds damages; which, after some observations
from his Lordship, were reduced to 1,0001.

Saturday, a man at the east:end of Dundee, having
drank a quantity of beer, was seized with a severe
retching. On examination, it appeased that the bottle
from which the liquor had 'been taken had formerly
contained shoe-blacking. Strong emetics were re-
sorted to, and the person, after being confined for
some days, is now recovered.
FORGED NOTES.—At the late Liverpool Snsions,
young woman (Jame ril,Carol) was acquitted of a
charge of having forged notes in her possession, in
which they were found under the following circum-
stances:—About six weeks ago she came from Ire.
land in the packet, in which also came passenger a
John Meaghan, who entered into conversation with
her, in which he, with apparent confidence, told her
that he had a small packet with him, which he was
afraid would be taken from him on his arrival at Li-
verpool, as he was suspected of being a smuggler.—
fle prevailed on the young woman to put the parcel
into her pocket. The. searching officer discovered the
packet, which, on being opened, contained 390
forged notes, purporting to be of Messrs. Dobson's
Huddersfield Bank, of one guinea each, She imme-
diately pointed out the owner, and stated her induce-
ment for taking charge of the packet, not knowing
its contents. Meaghan denied this statement, but
both were secured. Information was procured which
entirely cleared the young woman from suspicion,
and on the trial Meehan was found guilty, and sen-
tenced to three years imprisonment with hard labour.
The COURT suggested that some compensationshould
be made to the young woman, and blesses. Dobson's
clerk gave her two poundsi to which the MAYOR
kindly added three more.
* Tag IRISHMAN OUTWITTED: An Irishman who
hawks cloth, entered the Red Lion Inn, Winsford,
and after teasing some watermen to purchase, with-
Out effect, one of them asked him how much he
would take for the *number of yards.he should be
able to jump?- The Hibernian replied, " three shil
lings." The bargain was made, and the waterman
mounted the battlement of Winsford-bridge, with
the end of the piece of cloth in his hand, and leaped
to the bottom of the river Weaver; taking with him
the piece of cloth. The Irishman afterwards com-
promised with the waterman for twelve yards.