Star.
London, England, 1823-10-04 00:00:00

GUILDHALL.

A case, very similar to the one in our Mansion-house report of
yesterday, was -heart:tat this office before Mr. Alderman SCHOLET
—Captain Page, of the Prince of Waterloo packet, that runs be-
tween Ostend and London, was entrusted with a parcel containing
Bills of Exchange, Bank Securities, &c. to the amount of 'CUL Os.
Gd. by Mr. Henry Dottrel, of Ostend, to be transmitted to the
house of Messrs. Benjamin and Robert Brown, merchants, 157,
Cheapside. When Captain Page reached London, he entrusted the
parcel to William Lawrence, a regular porter, to be delivered ac-
cording to its direction, " Messrs. Brown 157, Cheapside." Law-
rence, on his way to Messrs. Brown's, passed by the counting-house
of Mr. Richard Dottrel, the son of the above-named gentleman,
and knowing the parcel for Messrs. Brown, came from Mr. 11.
Bottrel, produced it to the younger Mr. Bowel's clerk, Wiseman,
observing, that it contained money. Wiseman then said, "Ah !
very true; I know all about it, and as I am going to Messrs.
Brown's immediately, deliver it myself." Lawrence made
.some demur to this proposal, but as Wiseman said he knew all
about it, and was to give him a shilling, Lawrence yielded the point
and left the parcel in the clerk's hands. Mr. Ilenjamin Brown, of
the firm of Messrs. Brown, then produced that past of the letter
from the elder Mr. Morel, which described the contents of the
remittance to their house through Captain Page. The defendant,
on examining it, submitted, that he had a right to insist on the pro-
duction of the whole letter, for the part produced simply gave a list
of bills, &c. inclosed in a certain parcel, but there was nu evidence
that the same parcel was for the benefit of Messrs. Brown.
Mr. Alderman &notice observed, that the porter's evidence was
quite sufficient to prove that, and that in fact there was no neces-
sity to produce this letter further than as a refresher to Mr. Brown's
memory. A parcel had been detained by the defendant', clerk, be-
yond a doubt, wider false pretences, for he had promised to deliver
it at Messrs. Browns, which never had been done.—Mr. 13ottrel
said he was labouring under great disadvantages ; the summons had
been served at his house when he was from home, and he had come
before the Alderman at a very short notice ; his father is a bank-
rupt, and the parcel, he would grant, had been detained, and he
thought it a very poor security for the large amount to which he
bad bailed Mr. H. Bottrel. Messrs. Brown, who now claimed these
bills, had never delivered the goods for which they were to pay,
while be was in jeopardy for a large sum, by his father's having
committed an act of bankruptcy.
Mr. Helmut, who attended for the plaintiffs, said, that the ques-
tion was not at all who in equity had the hest right to the bills, but
this charge was brought forward for fraudulently obtaining, and il-
legally detaining, a parcel remitted to his clients. The case was
then, to give time to Mr. Richard Bottrel to take legal advice, and
to obtain the appearance of Wiseman, postponed to this day.

GAS SvoLIN.—A baker was charged before the Loan Movois
with having employed a person to light his house with gas by means
of a pipe which was joined to the main pipe, without the permis-
sion or knowledge of the Gas Company.
The Secretary of the Gas Company stated, that if the fraudulent
practice were net checked, the Company would lose immensely,
as vast quantities might be drained off the main pipes.
The baker, whose shop cut a brilliant figure, pleaded guilty, and
the Company expressed themselves, through their Secretary, satis-
fied, upon the defendant's paying the price of the gas consumed by
him : the amount was 304 had they pressed the penalties, the
amount the defendant would have had to pay would have been up-
wards of 1501. _ _