Star.
London, England, 1822-12-17 00:00:00

777'N'Fr'gr‘W.w71

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HUNTING. •

Now the loud cry is up—and hark
The barky trees give back the bark.
Tt-e housewife hears the merry ruut,
And runs, and lets the beer run out,
Leaving her babes to weep—for why?
She likes to hear the deer dogs cry.
And see the wild stag how he stretches
The natural buckskin of his breeches,
Running like one of human kind,
Dogged by Fleet bailiffs close behind,
As if he had not paid his bill
For vet ison ; or was owing still
Per his two horns; and so did get
lbw his head and ears in debt
Wherefore he strives to pay his way
With his long legs the while he may ;
But he is cbasl,like silver dish,
As well as any hart can wish,
Itteep: tbat one whose heart doth beat
So fast it hastened% his feet ;
And-, running so, he hokleth death
Four feet from him, till his breath
Fails, and, slacking pace at last,
He runs not slow, bet standeth fast,
With horny bayonets, at bay,
To baying dins around, and they
plashing him hard, he pushetb sore,
And goreth them that seek his gort. !
Whatever dog his born doth rive,
Is dead as sure as he's alive!
So that courageous hart doth fight
With fate—and caileth up his
And standeth stout that he may fall
Bravely, and be aveng'd of all,
No: like a coward yield his breath
Untie': the jrws of dogs and death

COURT OF KING'S BENCH, lfr

TILE KING V.COLLINS AND MILLS.
This was an indictment against the defendants
Collins and NI ills, for a conspiracy. the charge against •
them being, that they, together with the late Sir N.
Conant, being Licensing Magistrates for the County
of Middlesex, had, from corrupt motives, conspired
to ref u,e to grant a license to J. Meek, the prose-
cutor, for his house, the Green Man, in St. John's-
lane, Cle' kenwell, in the year 1816, and continued to
refuse the sa.d license, by which arbitrary and cor-
rupt conduct the prosecutor had suffered great loss,
and been entirely ruined. At a former trial the de-
fendant were found guilty, but had applied fur and
obtained a new trial, and the case came on this day

for a second bearing.
Mr. Sc A RLETT opened the case for the prosecution
the facts are detailed in the following evidence:
James Meek stated, that in the month of Novem,
ber, 1814, he purchased the lease of the Green Man,
St. John's-lane, Clerkenwell, and entered on posses-
sion on the 3d of that month ; in the course of that
and the following .year he laid out £3OO on the pre•
raises; he gave for the lease £330, and for fixtures
£l6l. It was an old•establilied house, and existed
as a public-house 200 years. The tap-room was
parted ; spirits were sold in one division ; there was a'
bar and pat lour; two doors opened into it from the
passage leading into the street. Witness made the
tap-room three times as large as it was beforehe took
the house. The sale of beer when he took the lease was
two butts a month ; he first dealt with Calvet t and Co.
then with Meux, Reid, and Co. Ile went to them in
March, 1815. and continued to deal with them till
the 28th of September, in the same year; his license
was renewed in 1815 without difficulty. Sir N.
Conant, Mr. Mills, Mr. Collins, and others were
present. His consumption had increased to three
and four butts a month ; but on his ceasing to deal
with Meuz and Co. it increased to ten butts; he then
dealt with Barclay and Co. In 1815 he engaged a
man, named Rawlins, to draw beer for him ; Rawlins
left his service in June, 1816 ; his general account
was transferred from sfeux to Barciay's house. The
Green Man is in Finsbury division, and in September
1816, he attended with the other victuallers to have
his license renewed. A beadle was sent out of the
Magistrates' room, stating what licenses were sus-
pended; witness was in the list; did not see the Ma-
gistrates that day. Mr. Cotterel and Mr. Sellon, two
Magistrates, came to him on the 9th, and made a
minute examination of his premises. Ile then en-
quired if any complaint had been made against him ?
The Magistrates said they had never heard anything
disrespectful of him. They inquired if he had taken
any premium for his beer trade? he assured than he
had not, and described how his beer trade had been
managed by Rawlins. He also inquired whether it
would- be necessary he should petition the Magistrates
on the adjournment day? The High Constable, who
was with them, said it was nos usual, and they said
he need not. The High Constable, Mr. Hill, re-
marked that the floor of the bar had been altered,
and witness told die Magistrates he hadmade no 'hew
door, but if it did not meet their approbation, he would
alter it, and pointed out the door of the Queen's
Bead opposite, which was in the same situation. He
pointed out the size of his tap-room, which was
capable of containing 40 or 50 persons. On the
18ch he went to Clerkenwell to appeal. Sir N. Co-
nant, Mr. Collins, Mr. Mills, .and the Rev. Dr.
Gaskin were present. One Of the Magistiates asked
what brewer he dealt with? and he told them
Barclay and Co. and offered to produce brewers
and distillers' books to shew his consumption.—
His consumption of spirits was £2O a month. They
would not see them, and Mr. Cotterell said to one of
the Magistrates," Sir, you know nothing of the case."
He was then ordered to withdraw, and when called
in again; he found Sir Nathaniel Conant speaking
to Mr. Collins, the Chairman, and he was again or-
dered to withdraw. Hill afterwards came to him,
and said his license was stopt. On inquiry he was
told there was another adjournment day on-the 21st
of January, against which time he prepared a Peti-
tion, which was signed by the inhabitants of the
neighbourhood and the Churchwardens; On the 20th
he saw Sir N. Conant at Freemasons' Tavern, and
had some conversation with hint respecting his license.
Sir Nathaniel said he recollected nothing against him,
and did not know where his house was situated. He
was told to go to the Sessions House the next day ;
he did so, and delivered his Petition to Mr. Richards,l
• Clerk to the Magistrates. Shortly after he was called
in, and found Sir N. Conant, Mr. Sellon, and other
Magistrates assembled. Sir Nathaniel said the Chair-
nsan, •Mr. Collins, was not present, and they could
not sit in his absence. He applied for a renewal of
his license in 1817. Ili• Petition was signed as before.
The same six Magistrates were present as before ; but
lie was told it would not lie granted, the same rea-
son still existed for refusing it. That reason was; that

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• the Mute was itted up as nipirit atop, inicl.khat the tier
trade in spirits was greater than the tvadein_beer.-- I'
Three or four Magistrates said therkaihittier made
any such objection. The Churthwatten; 'who had
been visiting constable, was asked What hiiititild say.
idainst witness's house ? His reply was; nothing .but
the t.!verse. He applied again in 1818, • the same
Magistrates were again present. He had a similar,
Petition, and stated the loss he had sustained,'but still
he could not get his license. In 181.9 he applied in
like manner, still he could not get his license. la
1816 he saw Mr. Lucas at Cleikenwell ; but in 1817.
he saw Willis, who had succeeded as nranaging clerk
to ;!lens and Co. He had .some conversation with
Lucas in 1816. •
The SoLICITOR-GIiNERAL and Mr. GUItSaT ob-
jected to conversation betweentucas and the witness.
Mr. ScARLETT and Mr. DENMAN contended that
this evidence ought to be received, as this was a
conspiracy between the,persons named ih the record
and other individuals not named; and therefore they
were at liberty to examine as to conversations with
other persons, to shew that those were the persons
unknown who joined in the conspiracy.
The SoLicyroa-Gasienat. said his Learned Friends
were mistaken ; the record did not allude to any un-
known conspirator, and therefore the inquiry must be
confined to the acts or declarations of those indivi-
dbals, and must not have the evidence of third per-
sons thus introduced. If they thought fit, they might
call Mr. Lucas, and examine him as to facts.
The Ciller Justice was of opinion the evidence of
Lucai's declaration could not be received, unless there
was a foundation laid for it, by chewing communica-
tion and concert between him and the persons charged
on the record.
Examination resumed.—Mr. George Dell's license
Was refused. In 1817, when witness petitioned for
a renewal, Dell was there ; Willis was also in attend-
ance; Mr. Wigton', a partner with Mzuz, was also
there ; saw Mr. Willis take a card from his pocket,
write the name of Wigram on it, and send it into the
room by the dour-keeper. Soon after. Sir N. Conant
Came out, and he and Mr.Wigram went into another
room. Afterwards Sir N. Conant returned into the
Magistrates room, and Mr. Willis was joined by Mr.
Wigram, who communicated something which
brought a smile on Dell's countenance. Dell was
soon after called in, and had his license renewed.—
Had heard that Dell did not draw more than two
butts a month, and he had two doors, and continued
to have them. Mena and Co. were his brewers.—
After Dell had received his license, he and Willis
went to a public-house together. The Queen's Head
had t.• o doors, but the license was never suspended.
The brewers, in 1816, were Meux and. Co. The•
Swan sold spirits also, but the license was not stopt.
Ten butts a month is a large consumption of beer;
£2O a month is not a large sale of spirits. Mr. Sel-
lon arid Mr. Cotterell are both very active Magis-
trates; Mr. Cotterell lives near to witness; Mr. Sellon
in Hatton-garden.
The Petition presented by witness to the Magi*.
trines was put in and read.
Cross-examined.—Will not swear that July, 181-5,
was his last account with Meux ; thinks his first
communication with Barclay and Co. was in March,
1815 ; a man named Stables was in the tap-room
before Rawlins. There was, originally, a passage
separating the tap-room from the spirit shop ;in the
tap-room there was a small bar, for the person who
cold the beer ; in the gin shop there was a counter,
similar to those used in gin shops ; there was a door
from the passage, and one from the street, and per-
sons might enter one door and go out at the other,
without going into the tap-room ; previous to 1815,
beer was drawn in. the bar ; the average profit of a
butt of beer is about 21. out of which witness had a
guinea, and Rawlins the rest; there wat.a number of
Gentlemen and others with Sir Nathaniel when wit-
ness saw him at the Freemasons"favern. Mr. Col-
lins said to witness, 44 we are satisfied with your cha-
racter ;" Messrs. Hendersim and Smith were original
attornies for witness ; at present Williams and Co.
were his solicitors; does not know that Henderson
and Smith were solicitors to the Associated Victual-
lers ; does not. know of such a Society. The Publi-
cans appointed a Committee amongst themselves,
but did not know that Henderson and Smith were
their solicitors. In November, 1818, witness took a
house in Ckandos-street, and continued in it until
the latter end of 1319, from' which time, till within
the last six months, he had been out of business ; he
was now a publican in Holborn; had received a sub-
scription since the time of the last trial ; the subscrip-
tion was still going on; witness paid Mr. Hender-
son's bill after his death ; was not furnished with
money Kt pay that bill, but had, since the last trial,
received 4001. or-5001. from the subscription ; after
obtaining the Rule for a criminal information, he did
'receive 501. did 'swear at last trial, that he had re-
ceived nothing towards the prosecution, but he had,.
in fact, received 501. he did not mention it, as no
question was put to him about it; he received 501.
before this prosecution was instituted.
ate-examined.--The spirit shop remained the same
as when he took it, except that he fitted it up more
commodiously, and so that persons might sit down
and have beer there if they chose to do so.
By the Cam Jesaace.—The costs of the last trial
were paid by defendants to witness's attorney.
Thomas Hill, in 1816, was High Constable of
Cletkenwell Division, and, as such, Inspector of pub-
lic-houses. It was his duty to report any irregulari•
ties to the Magistrates. Mr. Meek was in the house'
about two years, and during that time it was well
conducted. Don't know a house in the metropolis
better fitted up for the accommodation of Transpers
(persons walking into. London) than the Green Man
is. Remembers W. Clark coming into the room
whilst the Magistrates were assembled. He was a
Constable, and the Magistrates asked him if he knew
of any public-houses fitted up as spirit shops? He
said, several, and mentioned Mr. Meek's house. The
Magistrates did not.ask him any questions respecting
Mr. Meek, in witness's heating. Witi.ess accom-
panied Mr. Sellon and Mr. Cotterell to view Meek's
house. Thaw two Magistrates expressed themselves
satisfied. The intimation of the Magistrates to wit-
ness was, that one of the doors should be stopped,
but they gave him no positive orders, and therefore
he told Mr. Meek he had better let. it rest till alter the
adj,burnment-Liy. At the adjournment-day there
was no discussion On the
.subject of the license till
Sir N. Conant came in. Sir N. Conant, Mr: Mills,
and Dr. Gaskin• voted against the license; Mr. Sci-