Star.
London, England, 1806-03-08 00:00:00

r

LAW IhrtLi.ibtALE..

1116CMT OF RlNG's BENCH; MARCH 6.
LIBII..—.tLATTVII V. ATIIIISOIII.
Mr. Cs teeny/ opened this cafe with great force and
Iffeß. He laid that the Plaintiff was a very regyrela-
hle profeffor of the law, a Solicitor, refideni at New.
tale-npetn-Tyne,and he was molt selatantly ohlined
In come before, a Jury, anJ fubmit hi. c.,ie for their
`confideraticut, which indeed he c-nl/1 not avoid a ith-
out a titrrenaer of that which was alt ti dear to him,
• his cbarafler. It would appear. that there never teas
II more refpellable Plaintiff hcfnre the Coot t, fir he
had exercifedhis profeffion for 3o yews with unfullied
purity, and had met the gratifying ,applotration of
all who knew him—nor was there ever a man who
had been more unworthily and thainsfully•infulted.
He had married the lifter of the Defendant, who was'
a man of very large fortune, which he had made in
India, and returned to England in 18o+. The Da-;
fondant and his 1 el.itives, among shoal was his fillers
• the Plaimifl's wife, were interefled in the elate and
'Mins of the late Mr. Richard Atkinfon, who liad I
very extenfive, but vet), complicated concerns in
the Well Indies, and the hoe Mr. Benfield had a
large claim and inemuhrance on that otopetty.—•
Mr. Clayton took an aelive (hare in difentangling
the eflate.of Mr. Atkinfon from its emhatraffments,
Sitd hacflhe' aid of one of the mon intelligent as well
'as the mill honnurable of Englifh Merchants, one
Mho wal 'Winch ton well known to render it neceffary
odninette than pronounce his name, to carry with 1
:t ever), Alia of perfeet refpatability—he Irked Sir
Franciallaring. This llonoto able Baronet was wellj
liegnainted with the affairs of the fate Mr. Atkiffon,
... and with the condua of Mr. Clayton. the relent
praintiff, in the Share he had taken in arranging Come
of them ; who had the good fortune tot have the
entire •approbation of Sir Preneis Baring on that
neesifion, and higher ;static nobody could have than
the approbation of fo diflinguifhed and efteemed a
perfon. The defendant, Mw. Atkinfon, however,
had Cnnteiyed a malicious diflike towards Mr. Clay-
inn, the hulbaad of his finer, and the father of a t
children by her ; he had molt fhamefolly and leanda-
. 'mini abufed him, in a letter written to his own bro.
eller in Jamaica, for which he mull now anfwer. He
*mild not gn throng!) the difgnfting.detail of the libel,
• hut :build read a few extrails from tr, for it was quite
Chificient that the Jury (hould hear it once read, 1
Which the rules of the Court rendered ,neceffary. 'I he
Bea part of the letter was an infaJonus faliebond,•
that Mr. Clayton had mifteprefented the Defendant's
gandua in India with a view to prevent him from ever
loving the power of returning to England. The te-
bac was the cafe precifely ; for Mi. Clayton had
done every thing in his power.tn reprefent the De-
fendant moll favourably, having eneein for him on
licenunt of the affeEtion ii ids liner. Accordingly.
Mrs. Clayten, bn the arrival of her brother, the De-
fendant, in England, wrote him one of the kindeft
letters that could potlibly be penned, colgratulating
him upon his return home, and wi(hing to know
when the mould do her felf the pleafure of paying
him a vill•, together with her children and her m..-
titer, at the age of 72, eager to fee her fun in his
native latd, atter Itt long an abfence; but, ("range
to tell, this letter was treated with Pullen and filent
:cdniCnipt, and afterwards followed up with an im-
pudent falfehood by the Defendant, that his relations
bad (hewn a folicitnde for his death. He had written
to his brother in the Well Indies, inviting him to
take part agair.ft the Plaintiff, arid tr, adhere to him,
the Defendant. He laid to the Plaitt.tiff, ', My,
.gteat bane has been a ennneftii'n with that unpariti- 1
tele ti *iilain. 1% hom I Mall hereafter name, Ifferpijos„
the Newcaflle Attorney." Murphy was a name of
reptoach applicable to a will which the Defendant
bad ionnuated melt foully, that Mr. Clayton had a
P dithoncft (hare in making. His bane he called Mr.
Clayton, although the Defendant's filler was per-
.' Italy happy with her hitiband. and all the family
wader great obligations to Mr Clayton, for the dili-
. . • co and ability with which lie cotidulled fermi of
Ifiacbollecmerifhcs.reahe
E
aletter
lung
It ue
ago
ow;
placed
eodn ri
rnifit ilillai
ts '
the head of my famis.y, and literally converted
Joy father's houfe into a den of thieves." We
ore told that the Father of Lies, from the begin-
ning, could quote Scripture for his purpofe, of
which we had a memorable record. This Defen-
dant (Mr. Garrow laid) had no (envie in calling
the Plaintiff the pupil of the Arch Fiend, the apdfllc
of Satan, and imitator of the Devil, for certainly no-
thing could be m. re diabolical than this letter. The
letter went on—' Now, Matthew (he Grid to his bro-
ther) I put you to the ten. I admit of no medium be.
tween Me and this milcreant attorney, wbufe name is
infamy; and whole touch is pollution. You multi
either adhere to me or In him. I leave you fairly to
choofe ; and unlefs I receive front you an intimation
to the cdutraty after this letter reaches ynn, I (ball '
ccnfider you as Murphy's man. If you follow me,
yeti will make me a true brother ; but I am not In
tardy deceived as you feem to believe.' Then the
letter proceeded to 'late MAIMS caticmitig a bill in
Chancery—' he will tell you there is nothrog to fear i
horn him ; the rafcal len -ws better.' Act v, hat one
Night to be alliamed to read in the hand writing of
a gentleman to a gentleman, of and concerning a gen.
tleman, folio's ed—' But as the law proceeding will;
fwell Id, bill of colts, 1 know be will advite Rankling
a fait, eve,: thong)t he knows defeat would be the re- I
fult.'tcc. Now Mr. Gal row sited if any thing was
ever half In bad AS Ibis, or fo fcand•lous 1 He then
went on to ley, that the uncle's a ill was a rank
forgery He would afk, was it poflible that any
thing withd be more diaborwal than tlii,, of In
truly worthy a man as Mr. Clayton was 1 He had,
indeed, been abundantly modes ate in the damages
he had limed in she declaration, and much below
what the Jury weald have advifed, had he con-
(tilted them. Mr. Clayton's °Nee was not da.
'wages, but proteetion to his charaAer. He want-
ed nathing more; " he waged not war with Bed-
lam or the Mint." If this Defendant weve confined
fo that he fhauld Cc/atter no more of his prtifoned ar-
rows on the highway. Mr. Clayton would be content;
for which reafon he had re:trained the !pedal pleader
from col.cludity, the declaration with damages be-
yond the futn or ;cool. ; a farm which he was confi-
dent the Jury would not btfitate to give.
Mr. Matthew Atkinfon, the Defendant's brother,
• m, • vur us chancier of an attorße7 to Plahliales *ladle.
out, w a, buns for forging 4 wit. ,