Star.
London, England, 1802-11-30 00:00:00

and the Military Conductor. The former was
dead, but the latter might have been called. The
belt evidence had not been adduced of which the
cafe admitted. The rule for fitting afide the non-
fuit mull therefore be difcharged, and the pottea
_delivered to the Defendants.

COAL TRADE.
In a cafe upon the meafurement of coals, the
Court decided, that where the quantity is under
five chaldron, the proper meafure is the wharf
loufhel of Charles 11. and not the Wincheiler buthel
of Qeen Anne.
Mr. GARROW faid, this was a very important
matter, as great frauds were well known to have
been pra4lifed in this trade.
Mr. Jutlice LAWRENCE affented. He remarked,
that thefe aftions which had been brought lately,
would probably produce a great deal of good, as
great frauds had certainly been praaifed.
THE KING 1.4 ROWED.
Lieutenant Rowed, who had been in cuftody of
the Martha' fince Saturday, was brought up to
comply with the fentence of the Court for his af-
fault upon Mr. Harben. He paid the fine of Sol.
and entered into a recognizance to keep the peace,
himfelf in cool. and two fureties in tool. each.—
One of his fureties was John Hodgfon Durand,
Efq. the brother of Mrs. Harben.

HABEAS CORPUS.
William Thornton was brought up from York
Gaol on Habeas Corpus. From the warrant of
commitment it appeared that he had been charged
with a rape by Betty Wright, his maid fervant.
The affidavits of feveral refpeftable perfons were
read, which rendered it highly probable that he
was innocent of the crime laid to his charge. The
Court therefore admitted him to bail.

HAISE V. BLAKE. -
Mr. Juftice GROSE gave the judgment of the
Court on this caufe, which had been tried before
Lord Kenyon, and in which judgment has been
long expelled. He raid the Court were forry the
bufinefs was fo long depending, but Lord Kenyon
could never agree in the opinion formed by the
ten of the Court.
This was an ejellment brought by the Plaintiff,
who was heir at law, agaiuft a Devifee, under the
following circumftances
The Devifor was the Plaintiff's brother, and
poffeffed of certain eflates in Somerfet(hire. In
his will, after appointing fome legacies, he devifed
his Eflates in the following manner :—" I give and
bequeath one moiety to my Wife's family after her
death, and the other moiety to my brother (the
Plaintiff) and Sifier's family !" He had at that time
one finer alive who had a large family, and there
was alto a large family left by another finer, who'
was then dead His wife had alfo feveral nephews
and nieces, and it therefore appeared to the Court
impoffible to decide, by any words in the will,
which filler's family he meant, or in what propor-
tions and manner it was to go. The fame diffi-
culty occurred with repea to the vague expreffion
of his Wife': family.
Lord KENYON had fuggefted different modes of
conftruing this will; but it had appeared to him
and his brother judges, Mr. Juftice LawEENcs
and Mr. Janice LE BLANC (Lord ELLENBOROUGH
Wive no opinion, not being a Judge when the
queftion was argued) that the words of the will
are fo confufed as not to afford an, fair clue by
which the intention of the teftator could be dirco-
uered.
The Court were therefore of opinion, that this
devife (hould be fet afide for uncertainty, and that
confequently the Plaintiff, as heir at law, was en-
titled to the whole.
THE KING V. HAULM.
Thomas Hamlin, convidled of offering Mr. Ad-
dington aoool. for the place of Landing Surveyor
at Plymouth, was brought up to receive the judg-
ment of the Court.
Sir N. GROSE.---" John Hamlin, you are here
to receive fentence, charged by an information,
filed againft you by the Attorney-General, in
which you are accufed of having attempted to
corrupt the Right Hon. Henry Addington, de-
fcribed as Fiat- Commiftioner of his Majetly's
Exchequer, to name and appoint you to the place
of Landing Surveyor of the Cuftoms in the Port
of Plymouth ; and as an inducement to him to do
to, offering to pay him the fum of 20001. To this
information you have not pleaded ; but, by fuffir-
ing judgment by default, you have admitted the
charge to be true. That it is a very high and
flagrant breach of true, for a Minifler to receive
a bribe to appoint a perfon to an office, whole only
recommendation (Mould be his merit, there can be
no doubt. It is one of the corner (tones of the
Conftitution, that only loch perfons fhould be
moininated to fill offices of troll and importance,
who, by their abilities, are competent to difcharge
the duties of them. If this is the cafe, it mull be
no light mifdemeanor to offer a bribe to a Mini-
tier, with a view to the nomination of the perfon
offering it to an office of public truth. That men
in general are agreed in holding fuch offers in
contempt, canrot better be proved, than by the
very few in fiances on our records of perfons accufed
of rimilar praaices. It is evident, were they
encouraged, they mutt lead to mifchiefs incalcu-
lable, which would fpread to every office, civil,
military, and ecclefmflical ; and be the means of
fuperfeding men of ability and integrity; and fub-
flituting iu their (lead, the idle, the ignorant, and
the corrupt. 13ut it is not nectifary to imprefs
upon your mind the quality, or tendency of the
aft you was doing, when endeavouring to perfuade
Ins Majefty's Minitler to violate his duty, by ap-
pointing you to the office you folicited. You fuf
ficiently delcribe your own fink of it, by your'
offer to give your bond for 20001. or any film that
might be required, to keep the bufinefs a fecret.
The wickeduefs of your own difpofition can be
exceeded only by your folly, in fuppolingihat any
thing left could refult from it, than a refufal of
your offer, on the part of the perfon to whom it
was direaed, and a confequent profecution for the
offence. However in:probable it is that it thould
- prevent
you.—
:onvinced
that

CJI/Cill.C. agi w •GI sa•.k•s•-••••••••••. •. •••
be repeated, yet them is ho Rep fo likely to
it, as ; •,.• • r • unilhment on
From yo •—• •• en will be co
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