Star.
London, England, 1824-06-26 00:00:00

COURT OF ALDERMEN.

• ow—m
A Court of Aldermen was h-"m eld yesterday, when the Acts re—
cently paced for the reduction of interest on the Coal Market
and Navigation Roods were taken into consideration, and the Court
directed the notices to be given conformably thereto of their inten-
tion to pay off the principal monies borrowed and charged upon the
duties and tolls created by the originsl Acts of Parliament.
Mr. Lawn was sworn into the offize of Bridge Master.
The Court agreedwith a Report from a Committee for appointing
two additional Constables for the parish of St. Dunstan in the West.
NEW Pus!' OFFICE.

The ptcparations for the erection of the proposed structure pro-
reed rapidly. Already an area of 590 feet in length, and 130 in
breadth (the scite of the building), has been more than three-fourths
excavated to the depth of twenty feet, the labour of which has oc-
cupied nearly 100 navigators from 23d December last, the day of
commencement. At this depth the surface is grouted with Irma,
and sand procured from the Thames, to the height of six feet, form-
ing a bed for the founiationk or footings of the walls and drains, the,
one half of which are completed, and it is expected that all beneath
the plinth or basement story, and which will consist mainly of brick-
ivork, will be complete by the close of autumn, although the late'
rains have eonside'rably retarded the workmen ; above this, with
some exception in the rear, all will he composed of granite. The
houses westward of St. Vedast's Church on the North side of New-
.
gate-street, and those on the South of St. Ann's-lane, come down.
The human bones and skulls taken out exceed belief. Several
wagem loads have been taken away, Independent of the great num-
bers removed in coffins from the ancient cemeteries of the religious
houses formerly here. On Saturday last three perfect human skele-
tons were discovered covered with lime, the faces downward, and
laying due Eaat and Wes:, the heads being towards the East.
LATV REPORT.

COURT OP ICING'S BENCH, JUNE 25.
SIDEAWAY V. HAY.
The LORD Cntr.r JUSTICE read the judgment of tilt.
Court in this case. It had been argued when the Lord
Chief Justice of the Common Pleas was one of the
Judges of this Court, the judgment was, therefore, only
the judgment of the three Judges. The action hadbeen
for goods sold and delivered. Tie defendant was a
merchant, carrying on business in Edinburgh and in
London. There was a sequestration in Scotland, and
the bankrupt had been discharged, in the regular form,
by the Lords of Council and Ses.ion. The coestimi
raised was, whether this discharge in Scotland operated
in England? The Court were of opinion than it did, and
gave judgment for the defendant. The advertisements
were, by statute, published in the London Gazette, as well•
as in the Edinburgh Gazette. The bankrupt had been
required to give up all his goods, to be distributed
among such creditors as proved claims. English cre-
ditors were entitled to prove their claims.—Verdict for
the defendant.
Thursday, the 17th instant, the Judges of this Court, by a most
able speech from Mr. Justice BAYLZT, pronounced their judgment
on the long-pending question between the Corporation of South-
ampton end the Inhabitants of the Isle of Wight, whose interests
had been adopted and advocated at a great expense by that public-
spirited individual, Mr. Ward, of Northwood Park, and his Son.
The case stands thus :—The Corporation, having some obsolete
claims, founded upon a Grant from King John, obtained, in 1805,
an Act of Parliament to abolish what were then called " Petty Cus-
toms;" and, on their engagement to construct docks for the safety
of shipping, and warehouses for the accommodation of merchants,
and the securi' of goods, wares, and merchandise, they were to be
empowered by the said Act to impose certain duties thereon at the
times of import and export.
After exacting the said dues for fifteen years, on goods, wares,
and merchandise, and of docks constructed, it struck some " wise
man of Gdtham," the Corporation might as well improve their col-
lection by taxing some other articles; and, prospectively to an im- I
proved amount of collection, actually let the tolls to an annual
contractor.—The loon wording of our Acts of Parliament, too
often opens a door to artful or skilful interpreters. In the Schedule
to this Act, in the list of merchandise on which an inspdrt or
export duty was poyahle, eis..ass et.eenra the wexr.le 44 begfpew and
luggage." This was easily interpreted to mean pull niesodeau,
olvflov .., the sac de omit, or perffekille of every luckless passenger
who had occasion to pass over the public quay of Southampten,
in his transit to and from the Isle of Wight; and, accordingly,
for such articles, every individual was, with a suavity of mauner
peculiar to the collector of these claims, forced to pay three huff-
pence for every separate article which accompanied him! Nay,l
one Gentleman, having taken a bag with three shirts on board one
of the passage vessels, with an intention of going to the Isle of
Wight, altered his mind, and returned immediately on shore.—
What follows? He had his shirts seized, because he would not pay
three halfpence, for what was termed an export, and a further three
.lial
(pence for import duty on this bag, which had gone about fifty
1 yards from and back again to the quay. Such an obvious im-
position, however, was too glaring to be long endured without in-
quiry and investigation into the assumed right of levying a personal
tar upon the inhabitants of a particular district. The Commis-
sionera thought proper to authorise their collector to seise the port-
manteau, &c. of the abovementioned George Ward, Esq. of North-
wood Park, in the Isle of Wight, he having refused to submit to
the demand on several occasions.
In consequence of this, that Gentleman, in the public spirit of an
independent man, brought actions against the Collector, and on
the 17th inst. the judgment of the Court of King's Bench was de-
livered, declaring the illegality of all such seizures, and in effect re-
lieving the inhabitants of the Isle of Wight from all charges on their
property in passing to and from Southampton.
This is as it should be; but what will the Public think when in-
formed that three verdicts had been previously given against the Cot.
poration at the County Assizes, and that for a twelvemonth after
the two first the Commissioners still continued to levy the toll, nor
discontinued the exaction until a third prepared them for the thun-
dering judgment which went to annihilate them, on Thursday.
It would be some satisfaction, and we own we feel some curiosity
to know, what the Commissioners mean to do with the large sums
Of money collected after the first verdict against them pronounced
' the levy to be illegal I This last decision, however, of the Court, as
it removes the imposition so vexatiously felt these last three years
by all passengers passing to and from the isle of Wight, cannot fail
to be most acceptikle and gratifying to the inhabitants of Southamp-
ton in general, as parties now, on their return to London anti to
inland parts, instead of going by Portsmouth and Lymington, will
revert to the old accustomed passage.
COURT OF KING'S BENCH, DUBLIN, JUNE 22. 1
Mr. Seim said, that he had yesterday moved fora Habeastbrpus,
commanding the Marshal of the Alarshalsea to produce his daughter
(Miss Jane Ormsby) in Court. The motion had been granted upon
the affidavit of Mr. White, stating that the Lady was the victim of
ill treatment, and that, in consequence of her contract to marry him,
she had been imprisoned by her father, who was the Marshal of the
Court. The Habeas Corpus had been served upon the Marshal be.
tween three and four o clock, and the Court would hear, with a
sentiment much stronger than surprise, that their own officer had
not only neglected to make a retuns to the writ, but had actually
had the boldness to remove the Lady beyond the protection of the
Couet. Miss Ormsby had that very morning been conveyed in a
carriage, by two men and a woman, to ilowth. On arriving at the
pier, she cried out for help, and with vehement exclamations,
called on the persons about her to rescue her, as she was about to
be Forcibly placed on board the packet. The woman who at-
tended her said, that she was insane, and desired the people not to
regard what she said. A peace-officer, in whose affidavit than
facts were stated, happened to be present and interposed : bat Mr.
Marlowe Phibbs, one of the instruments employed by her father
for this guilty purpose, said that he was her cousin, hurried
her on board the vessel, and refused to allow the constable, who
vainly employed the insignia of his authority, to speak with her.....,
She was forced into the cabin—the vessel set sail, and the unfOrtu-
, nate Lady was now beyond the protection of the law. This pro-
ceeding was a serious delinquency. It called not only for reproba-
tion, but for punishment. The Court tould punish, although they
could not redress. The Marshal of the Court bad not only set its
authority at nought, but had committed a most profligate violation
of personal liberty. He should move for an attachment, and also
that the Marshal should he suspended in his office, in order that he
might be compelled to liberate his daughter.
Mr.Citoefrroo said, in behalf of the Marshal, that he had not seen
the affidavits, and requested time to answer them till to-morrow.
The Comer said, that inasmuch as Miss Ormsby was now beyond
their jurisdiction, nu injury could arise from giving the Marshal
time to meet the charge t.ntil to riorrow. But he should take care
• how he answered the facts swam tn.

The Prince and Princess Lowl:NsrTrN of Amtria,
arrived at Portsmouth ou Sanday, for Lac p.:r;',s: of inspecting the
public works.

Alfa

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