Star.
London, England, 1826-06-01 00:00:00

LONDON OPHTHALMIC INFIRMARY.

.

The Anniversary of this Institution was commemo-
rated yesterday at the Albion Tavern, Aldersgate street.
At seven o'clock William Mellish, Etq. took the Chair,
supported by J. Byng, Esq. M.P. on his right, and
S. C. Whitbread, Esq. on his left. There were also
present many of the first plaaitioners in. medicine as
well as surgery. The dinner having been admirably
served, and the cloths and corks dr4wn, " Benedict us"
was most ably given by the musical gentlemen present.
The health of the King, the Duke of Yolk and the
Royal Family, and the Army and Navy, having been
given and received with the most lively testimonies of
affecti,m and gratification,
Dr. FA RAE, the Secretary, addressed the company at
some length in commencing upon the Report. It ap-
peared from that document, that since the formation of
the Institution in 1804, there had been contributed for
genetal purposes 15,8164 and for the building and en-
dowment fund 60081. making together the sum of
21,8241. ThAt sum had been expended, with a trifling
exception, in letirving 60,255 out-patients, of whom
50,592 were estimated to have been cured. It also ap-
peared that there had heen.-625 inpatients during that
period, who had been cured of cataract or closed pupil,
including 104 who had been born blind.r—ln order to
shew the great utility of the Institution, it was stated
that a successful result had attended the operation on
cAt.tract of 37 cases out of 40; and th it the number of
out-patients had increased, during the last year, to 4078.
The Repot t went on to state,*that the pupils educated
at the Infirmary amounted in number to 939, the be-
nefit of whose exertions were felt over every part of the
Briti,h Empire.
The.toasts of the City of. London and its Trade. the County
Members, the CI-airman, and the Oficete, were then given, and
received with the usual demonstrations of respect.

Advices have .been received at the Cape of GOIOL
Hope from London, to the 24th of October, combo-
nicating the commercial difficulties and Mures; end
it is a little remarkable, that it was first made known
by way of Bahia, from thence to Rio de Janeiro, and
conveyed to the Cape by the Jessie, Captain BRAY, ill
27 days, and in all probability would have thence
reached India previous to any other arrival.
Letters from Lisboa to the 14th of May, announce
the arrival of the Newton English packet boat in 91
days from We de Janeiro, and in 49 Irons Bahia, with
dispatches from Sir CHARLES STUARIr to the British
Ambassador at the Portuguese Court, the contents of
which had not of course transpired.
Letters have been received in town from Major
LAING, who is crossing with the caravan from Tripoli
through the Great Desert, on his route to Timbuctoo ;
it is dated October 12, from Gadamis, lat. 30. 17. N.
long. 9. 16. E.; he passes through his consulate at Mi-
sonc, and expects to reach Timbectoo on the 12th of
December, then to descend the Niger, which is supprsed
to run into the sea in the Bight of Benin. His Majesty's
ship BRAZEN awaits him these, to take him to Sierra
Leone or England. He may be expected here in June.
Tuesday evening an Inquest was held at the Roebuck
Inn, Turnham-green, on the body of Mr. Thos. Grainger,
chief clerk in the firm of Brown and Co. Solicitors,
Mincing-lane, who was killed by. the overturning •f a
Windsor coach on Monday morning. The Jury were
satisfied that the breaking of the axle-tree was purely
accidental, and they returned a verdict of accidental
death. A Wend of the deceased stated that he was
38 years of age, a married man, and has left a widow
land eight children. About two years back the deceased
was travelling by a stage-coach near Hounslow, when it
was overturned, and he met wish some slight injuries.
On this occasion he heard him, say, ,g Well, this is the
third time I have nearly lost my life in this manner. I
shall yet be killed by the upsetting of a stage." On the
Friday night preceding his death, his daughter, a girl
about fifteen, dreamed that her father was killed in
almost the exact manner he was. She mentioned her
dream next morning to the deceased, and begged him
to be very careful.
Tuesday morning, as the coachman and footman in
the service of Mr. F. P. Ripley, of Woburn-place, 1
Rus-
sell-square, were driving their master's carriage down
Tavistock-place, Tavistock-square, the box on which
they were seated broke down, and precipitated them-to
the ground. The wheels of the carriage passed over
the right leg of the coachman and the chest of the toot-
man. They were conveyed to Mr. Ripley's, where they
experienced such attention as their situations required.
The coachman's leg was very greatly bruised and
lacerated, though not broken. The footman was ex-
tremely convulsed, and, we are sorry to add, there are
no hopes of his recovery.
The Gazelle of Tuesday contains a Proclamation, pro-
mising his MAJESTY'S pardon to any person concerned
in the late horrid murder of the female servant at the
Jolly Carter public house, near Manchester, (except the
person who actually committed the murder), sir ha shall
discover his accomplices ; and a reward of 50 guineas.
The churchwardens of the parish of Bomsey have ul
late years been in the habit of giving for sparrows' heads
tourpence for young, and sixpence for old per dozen.
In the year 1821, the sem paid was 71. 10s. and'this
last year has increased to 351. having paid for upwards
.of 20,000 heads.

THE SUMNIEk CIkCIJIT4I.
This morning the Judges of Ove Court of King's Bench, Common
Pleas, and Barons of the Beciequer, assembled in the Lord Chief
Justice's Chamber, for the purpose of choosing their respective
Circuits, preparatory to the ensuing Summer Assizes. The fol-
lowing was the arrangement :
noun Cum/Tr—Mr. Baron ORLUAM, and Mr. Justice FIOLROYD.
°emu's—Mr. Baron GARROW, and Mr. Justice liusenuon.
lkinu.ano---Lorsi Chief Justice Assorr, and the Chief BARON.
Nnarms—ChiefJustice Bert, and Mr. Justice B
W=eratw-11dr. Justice LITTLIDALE, and Mr. Justice GAZILIIIL
NOITKIMN—Br. Justice PAR[, and Mr. ISAMU BULLOCK.
COURT OF KING'S BENCH, Mar 51.

DOS ON THE DEMISE 0/4,708ZPH EVANS V. THOMAS EVANS.
This case wis argued by Mr. MKREWETHER and
Mr. Easittsot for the lessor of the plaintiff, and by Mr.
TAUNTON on behalf of the defendant. The point at is-
sue was the effect produced by a conviction for felony
upon the capability of a_party to hold or to lease lands.
The lessor of the plaintiff \in this case had been twice
convicted, first for a clergyable offence, under which
conviction he was sentenced to transportation ; the se
cond was a capital conviction for returning from trans-
portation before the period of his sentence was expired
The capital punishment was afterwards commuted for
two years' imprisonment, which conditional pardon, it
was contended by the Learned Cqunsel for the lessor of
the plaintiff, did away the effect of the attainder, and re-
stored the party to the rights of possession and demise.
It was conrended on the other hand, by Mr. IAUNTON.
that the estate (which was a copyhold one), immediately
upon the attainder of the party, became vested in the
Lord of the Manor, and that the pardon could not have
the effect of restoring rights which had been thus re-
versed. Therefore, he submitted that the lessor of the
plaintiff had utterly lost the capacity of devising the
premises to John Doe.
The LORD CHIEF JUSTICE, having consulted with his
Learned Brethren, stated, that there could be no doubt
that the Act of 6th George the Fourth, restored icon-
victed felon to his competency of possession ; but it could
not have the effect of revesting in a party rights which
had previously.beconte vested in another. The only, ques-
tion with reference to the present case was, whether the
estate became vested in the Lord of the Manor, imnte
diately on Me attainder of the party, or whether any
preliminary act was necessary to confer this right. The
present impression of the Court was, that an entry by
the Lord—which, it appeared, had not taken place in
the present case,—was necessary, If, however, the
Court, on further consideration and on consulting the
books, should see reason to alter their opinion, they
would take an opportunity of pronouncing their final
decision before the close of the Term.

In the course of the day, the Came hams, assisted by Com-
mon Juries, sat at Nisi Prius.
WILLIAM AND CHARLIts•PRIITZR V. LORD TIyNIIAM.
The plaintiffs in this case, who are linen-dtapFrs,
brought their action for recovery of , the principal and
interest due on the foot of two bills of exchange, ac-
cepted for due consideration by the defendant when Co-1
lonel Curzon. The defendant had pleaded the Statute
of Limitations, but proof was given that the action was
commenced in Easter Term 1820, being within five
years of the acceptance of the bills by the defendant,
which was in 1815 No defence was offered, and the Jury
returned a verdict for the plaintiffs—Damages 7601.

COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, MAY 51.

WALKER, CLERK, V. RIDGWAY.
This was an action brought by the plaintiff, a Cler-
gyman at Hereford, against the .defendant, a farmer
near that city, respecting the setting out cf tithes, and
which.was tried before Mr. Justice Burtantion, at the
Assites for that county. Upon motion the Court granted
a new trial. Mr. Serjeint WILDE subsequently obtained
a rule to shew cause why the venue should not be
changed, upon the ground that the plaintiff could not
have a fair trial in that or the adjoining county, on ac-
count of the various -letters that had appeared in the',
Hereford Journal, and the Hereford Independent, news-
papers, together with several remarks of the Editors, to'
which the defendant was privy, and which remarks and
letters were an attack upon the Clergy, and reflected on
the Judge, and also caused an unjust prejudice.
Mr. Serjeant TADDY this day chewed cause against the rule, and
in so doing read the remarks made in those papers, and the corres-
pondence therein inserted.
The Curse Jusvicis asked, if those letters had found their way to
the Attorney-General—if not, it Was very proper that they should.
Mr. Strjeant TADDT submitted they were there to
try the civil rights, and not to interfere with the crimi.
nal conduct of persons connected with newspapers. He
would distinctly shew that the defendant had nothing
whatever to do with the publication; and he was not to
be prejudiced because others chose to raise a controversy
and attack the clergy.
Mr. Justice 111)RIOUGH.—At the trial the plaintUf, by his Coun-
sel, stated that he did not for a moment suppose the defendant to
be guilty of any fraud.
Mr. Serjeant Minor proceeded to read the whole of the publi-
cation, when
The Cars► Justice observed, that this rubbish could not impose
upon the weakest judgments—[r was a disgrace to the press in these
enlightened days.
Mr. Justice GAZZLIE thought tha: the point was not
so much whether the defendant was privy to these pub-
lications, but whether they did not go to the calling
upon persons who might be on the Jury to violate their
oaths in opposition to the Clergy.
Mr. Serjeant TARDY and Mr. Serjeant SPANK!! ar-
gued at great length against the rule, contending that
it was giving an unheard-of power to Newspapers, if
parties were to be driven from the spot %here their
rights ought to be tried, because they chose to raise a
controversy, and go into a protracted discussion, and a
whole county to be said to be so weak that they were
'not fit to try a cause, because their minds were influ-
enced by such trash.
The CHIRP JUSTICI would not lay down a rule that
there were no class of persons fit to try a tithe cause.
The reason they would remove the cause was, that the
minds of the persons who might have to try it had not
peen left uninfluenced. No men were better friends to
the Liberty of the Press than the Judges, but where the
Liberty of the Press was abused, it was a curse. the
Press took upon itself to teach Juries to prejudice them-
selves, and it the Government of the country did not
put a stop to it, the Judges.nould exercise the power
they had, which they were not at all times disposed to
do. The publications that had been read were a gross
contempt of the Court. Those who advised Juries not
to attend to the Judges for the law, advised them to
perjure themselves, regardless of consequences. He,
for one, if this was not stopped, would punish parties so
offending for contempt. If there was any dispute in
this case, it was as to the law, and from the Judge the
Jury had heard the law, and found a verdict contrary
to ite.—Rule absolute.
PREROGATIVE COURT, MAT 51.
HALL D. HALL.

This was a suit respecting the validity of a will tie-
-4astesl in February, IblB. The patty propounding it,

• •
'Mr. Robert Willis Hall, soo of the testator, had tailed
in establishing a testamentary instrument executed aka
subsequent period, owing to the Court being of %Win
th,it the deceased was-not or,sound mind ax the.date d
its esecutinn.
Sir Jon x Nicuott. was of opinion, that the validity of
the pre,ent instrument was, from a variety of considera-
ticns, less capable of pic.)t than that of the other
He accordingly pronounced agai Ist it, and condemned
the erecntor in whatever tests iiad been intoned by the
other side.