Star.
London, England, 1801-03-10 00:00:00

STATE OF THE WHEEL.

6 Prizes ri 4.2rocr

II Pr:ICI of 4. 3.4..,:c0

I Ditto

acpco

9 Ditto

2 poo

3 Ditto motto I t;* Ditto Sto
3 I)itto 5.000 &t. itc.

LAW IrTELLICENCE.

COURT OF COMMON PLEAD, MARCH S.

(-Ft rM V. L? I,H A• 411 Asi.,THER.
Mr. Se: an: r. n;•e::: I tlle Plaintiff's
cal:, nine! v; Y.-as .1 Ca, of very c
t•; rlle tt 4,1 c :e
of this country, ate! o ti;c have
a verdiCt (et eti_ait eat nati,ll- '
11 ;.illar; . v:; The
:.I,.prusto, a 7..lerchan;,
rellui;•,7, dC l'aoi ;.••, 1,, (4. the Dekil.
..1 VV.C, ~cite:::,hl M.•rchants at Liverpoot,
the Brea of 241:i. :a.d:r •:i:cuoutances:—A.
I,.;•?ea ;:1 a :argo of which the
'A:fen:dints c. arrived off the Suf~
coati ia geea. th.irei;•. '1 he Plan:tiff, anunj;
other', went cat is a and got on hoard this
!hip, when be rfaa..!...: : Carain to 11:;:: a
Power of Attor:::.; . on him Olc whole
comm.:lid of I:_r. terms he undertook
to her fife into port ; and aOttally brought
her in r..tcty into the i;:a•t rat kve.
A number of witneil's were produced to fob-
ihntiate tilde faits, and proved different fortis of
money the Plaintiff had paid to fome of thole
who were employed tinder him. One uitnefs
he thought that t,31. was not a farthing too much
by way of cornpenfation for what the Plaintiff
himfelf did by endangering his life in taking care
of the veffel, and taking upon himfelf all refpon-
fibility.
Mr. Serjeant SHEPHFRD and Mr. YA'rES con-
duffed the defence. They admitted that this foe
reign fhip had come in there in difirefs, and com-
pared the Plaintiff, and a number of others retid-
ing on the Sulfex coati, when they law a (hip is
dards, to a fportfman, when a hare was flailed
or a fox unkennelled. They were fully perfuaded,
that were it not for the fafety of the lives of men,
it would in molt cafes be much better for all con-
cerned that (hips in diftrefs, as far as regarded the
property on board, were permitted to go to tl:e
bottom, becaufe the demands that were made by
thofe who furnifhed Alliance were enormous and
fcandalous. Englifh humanity was forgotten, and
pillage and plunder fithftituted h 1 its place. They
produced an award made by the Jttftices on
the fpot, giving. to the falvors 2701. But what
had the Plairaut done He hid hired the Lion
cutter to aftift in the laving of this fhip. The mut
on board that cutter had received only 15 guineas
for aClually doing the ()Miners, and the Plaintiff
demanded rgcl. commilion for hiring them to do
that befinefs. They admitted that men who lived
on ciiEcre:A parts cf the fea coafts in this country,
and who volunteered loch fervic.es; which wore
very periloue, ought to be liberallyand handilimely
paid. But an Engin Jury would not permit any
of their countrymen to praftiee the groat} itiyo-
fttion on foreigners, who had been reduced to
fuch a fituation of dittrels. They admitted that
the Plaintiff was entitled to recover force trifling
items in his bill, but contended the Jury omjht
to eat down the isol. for which he had abfoluteiy
done nothing.
The Noble and Learned Judge, in the courfe
of an excellent humming up to the Jury, °Nerved,
that this aftion was brour;la by the Plaintiff, who
defcribcd himfelf in the Power of Attorney to be
George Chapman, of Ealt Bourne, in Suffex,
Merchant and Ship Agent, again(! William and
Jofeph Leigh, Partners in a Houle of reputation
at Liverpool ; one of them being dead lince t:
queltion arofe ; and in this cat.fe the Plain.;ff :e-
-el:wed, that in confiJeration that he h..: h
that time laved from the petits of the leas
Pruflian veffel (naming her) and th;
board belonging to certain perfons ref •
the Seas, and which was eonfigned to .1; I••' . :-
dants ; and alto that the Plaintiff, after •
and cargo had been In fitved, had taken c : •
her and expended certain turns of money, the :-
fendants promifed to pay the Plaintiff what lie
reafone.bly deferved to have ; and then it averred
that he ought to have 2401. His Lordfhip, after
hating to the Jury the other counts in the decla-
ration, fummed up all the evidence that was
given, oblerving upon it as he proceeded. He in
particular direCted the attention of the Jury to the
Power of Attorney by which the Plaintiff got the
command of this !hip. Many crarures were found
in it. The names of fuhletibing witneffes were
aruck out, and among thefe was the name of a
dead Attorney. It had trifled in another form,
and been atteited by other witneffes before he went
on board; and it was afterwards nianufacctured
anew, in order to anrwer the exigencies of thz cafe.
His Lordlhip fail, lie was difpr.fed to believe,
that what had been obfervcd by the Cola:fel fur
the Defendant was not totally without foundation,
that when the Plaintiff travelled along the coati,
hehad Powers of Attorney cut and dry ii: his pocket,
ready to be executed at a moment's notiez, fhould
any 'hips in diltrefs prefent themfelves to hi; view.
His Lordlhip fuggefied to the Jury the obl.lrya-
tions which occurred to him en the different i:enis
that conflituted the Plaintiff's &mend. Its to the
15.)1. laid his Lordfhip, the queflion is, whether
it is too much ? That it is enough, to body die=
pates. In deciding that, you will take two things
into your confideration. It is of great importance
to perfons who are in a fituation of diftrefs, that
the remuneration of men who aid and OM them
in getting out of that diarefsfhould not be .4 eighed
in very nice teaks. It is more for their interest
the reward fliould be rather too much than too lit-
tle. But on the other hand, I hope and truth you
will hare a (efficient regard fcr the charaftcr of
Britons, to take care by your verdie% that the hu-
manity of men (hon!d be extended by thole who
are your felow-citizens to perfons in 'dill els, with-
out imporieg upon them. You will f.ty how much
or how little of this isol. you will give die Plain-
tiff by your verdiel.

The jury allowed the Plaintiff 301. for going
on board, and Living direaions for bringing this
(hip into pert. They gave other 301. !or money
he had laid out and expended; G. that their •ver.
did was in favour of the PLlintifi WL