Star.
London, England, 1827-07-25 00:00:00

SUMMER ASSIZES.
OXFORD CIRCUIT.—ABINGDON, Jam, ats.
The evennissioss was opened here this day by Mr.
Baron VAIIONAN and Mr. Justice LITTLEDALL The
calendar is unusually light; it contains the names of
only 18 prisoners, and, with the exception of one case
of horse-stealing, none of them are charged with any

very serious offences.
Crete. 3ws. —More Mr. Justin larrinsass.
THB KING O. CHARLICS CIA/ roil.
The defendant. a journeyman printer, residing at
Reading, was indicted for assaulting Messrs. Edward
Hawks and Thomas Lowrance, inhabitants of that bo-
rough, in their capacity of churchwardens of the parish
of St. Lawrence. A second count charged the defend-
ant with a common assault.
Mr. Justice LITTLEDALI Opened the pleadings.
Mt. Sergeant LusoLow stated the case to the Jery.
The present case, he said, formed a kind of append.' to
the contentions which had arisen out of the late election
for thie,hosooghof Reading; bet as he concluded that
his Learned Friend, Mr. Talfourd, who appeared for
the defendant, would not enter into, a detail of the pro-
ceedings which Fare rise to that contest, he should
merely confuse himself to a statement of the evidence
which belled to offer, and which he had no doubt would
satisfy thi Jury of the guilt of the defendant. The Learned
Counsel, after detailing the facts, concluded by calling
Mr. Thomas Letesance, who stated that on the 12th
of April last he went in company with Mr. Edward
Hawks, as Churchwardens of the parish of St. Law-
rence, Reading. to the house of the defendant, fur the
purpose of collecting a church rate. On demanding
payment, the defendant said " it was ord—cl Blue trick.
The witness replied, Blue or red, the rate must be
paid." There had been no appeal against the Bate.—.'
The defendant was then behind the counter: he said' to
the witness, " I am sorry when I met you the other day
I did not
_floor you—don't laugh at it now, or I will
kick you. That was all that was said before the dr
fendant came round Irons behind the counter: he then
came and caught the witness by the shoulder, and pushed
him against Mr. Hawks. He fell against Mr. Hawks,
and pushed him to the side of the shop. Witness re-
monstrated with the defendant for his improper conduit
—he told him such behaviour would avail him nothing,
as they merely came to collect the rate, which must be,
paid. The.defendant tien attempted to push Hawks
out of the door. He had not previously required them
to go out of his house. Hawks being against the door.
post, the defendant did not succeed; he then took hold
of the door and tried to force Hawks out, by squeezing
him bettveen the door and the post. Hawks could not
get either one way or the other. The defendant's wife
then interfered ; the defendant opened the door, and
witness and Hawks both went out and proceeded on to
' collect the rates. Before the defendant pushed witness,

no violence had' occurred.
Cross-examined by Mr. TALEOURD --All was quiet
and peaceable before the defendant pushed me. His
dinner was not in the shop at the time. Hawks
made some jocular observation which I don't remember.
I.l'sras not so good a joke as to ioduce me to remember
is. This took place in April just after the rate was
!made; we went on with the collection to the 15th of
,Jane following. The defendant did not say he wanted a ,
'Tittle more time to pay it in. Neither of us made any al-1
lesion to what passed, before a Committee of the House of
I Commons about hisabilit y to pay the rate. Hawk, aught
base said, as there was such a flourishing account of Ins
trade given, he ought to pay the rate. The defendant
was one of the ,disputed totes at tbe late election. Al-
blot* were 0140 to Hawks's evidence before the Com-
mittee of the Hods* of Commons. The defendant did,
not ask us to go out of hfs house, and my he would
pay if more time Was *lowed him. 'lie had before
rented stabling in S. Mary's parish. I never demanded
the key of it from him to,eiew the premises. I preferred
this indictment asainst the defendar.t last Session%
sad held him to hart three times. Our solicitor is Mr.
Spence's agent. I went before the Mayor, and gave the
information, on which the defendant was taken op. I
was never confronted with him before he was taken up.
Mr. William Andrews is town-clerk, and as such the
legal adviser of the Mayor. The defendant is a jour-
ney-man printer, in the employment of Mr. Snare.—'
The indictment is removed into this Court by me, acid
sot by him.
Re-examined.—Voting in Reading is by scot and lot ;
the defendant's vote was allowed before we went to
claim the payment of the rate. The Gentleman who
conducts this prosecution is solicitor to the parish of Sr..
Lawrence.
Mr. Hawks confirmed the principal part of the evi-
dence of the last witness, but on cross examination
stated, that he did not recollect any allusion had been
made to the defendant's dinner being ready. Nothing
was said about the flourishing state of the defendant's
trade. I did formerly say to his wife, that I thought
it our duty to put his house back in the rate. That was
said because he was paying a rate in S:. Mary's parish.
This was the first rate be had paid for two or three
years before. I did not demand the key of his stables
in St. Mary's parish ; I asked where the property wait
situated., I remember Mr. Goddard being with MC
when I asked for the key; but I never, in if:eremitic*
of two other persons, threatened to serve the defendant
out. I recollect no allusion being made to the elections,
I had said before the Committee, that defendant kept a
shop, and that all I ever saw in it was matches and
ballads. I made no allusion to that when the assault
occurred. The defendant's wife was present.
Re.eximined.—l was examined before the Committee about
defendant's keeping a shop. He had been relieved' 'from paymeMt
of his rate. He was rated at tbetime its ht. Mary's parish. and a
that rate his vote was allowed.
Mr. Tatroorso, in addressing the Jury for the do.
fendant, said be must confess that be felt some regret
that the first time his friend (the Learned Sergeant) had
favoured them with his presence here be bid not a case
more worthy of his talents. The Jury would, he was
sure, agree with him, that this was a most wretched
prosecution got up for a most wretched purpose. His
Learned Friend bad called it an appendix to certain
proceedings which had arisen out of the late Reading
Election; and a most miserable appendix it was, got up
to gratify the wounded feelings of his Learned Friend's
clielits. The Jury bad heard the statement of Mr. Law-
-1 rams and Mr. Hawks, and they would from that form
their judgment of the merits of this case. The defendant
Wm a poor journeyman printer: he had been itsdicted
pt,the Reading Borough Sessions for this alleged assault,
where a case of this sort would have been best disposed of
losongst neighbours. He had been held to bail.—
The indictment had been removed to the Assizes—a
lean which would have been a disgrace to the Quieter
Unions; and what would be the consequence if they
found the defendant guilty? He would be dragged up
to London to receive sentence before the Court of King s
Bencb, when, after waiting term after term till the Court