Star.
London, England, 1820-04-21 00:00:00

met., for stealing a printed boendlicioll ; and J. Ward, for steal-

ing two sheets Ste. • •
B. Emanuel,' for uttering counterfeit money, tag easaiicted'"
of a misdemeanoui.
THE LONDON GRAND JURY AND THE STATE
P &MON ERS.
The Grand Jury for London,.having gone through
the business of the Sessions, brought in their last
bills in the course of the afternoon ; and having de-
livered them, the Foreman read from a• paper the
following address :
" The London Grand Jury having been refused admission to
that part of Newgate wherein the State prisoners are now con-
fined, and conceiving that they possess an undoubted right to
visit the prison in every part, beg to state this their impression
to the Court ; and, unwilling to compromise that which they
conceive to be their right, they respectfully, but firmly, claim
from the Court the privilege of going over the whole of Newgate,
which they believe. has never hitherto been questioned."
The CONIAMS SE MJEANT observed,Lhat Mr. Brown,
the Keeper, had a most awful responsibility on his
hands, and he could not any, that, in refusing the
Gentlemen of the Grand Jury admission to the places
in which the persons spoken of were confined, he had
acted improperly. The consequence might be very
serious if they were admitted, because the prisoners
might make a rush, and by it attempt an escape.
He (the Common Serjeant) was confident, from Mr.
Brown's'general good character, that he could not
have intended to insult the Grand Jury ; he was_ only
doing that which he conceived, and perhaps very
properly, to be his duty. He (the Common Ser-
jeant) could not say that the Grand Jury had a right
of admission.,
The Foreman observed, with great submission and
deference, that, as the Grand Jury they tad a right
to inspect every part of the of Newgate.
Air. Counter SxmaaNr—Are you Magistrates, Gentlemen ?
Foreman—No, I am not ; but I claim my right as one of
Ithe Grand Jury:
The Consiox Seers/air observed, that the question was not
lbefore the Court, and he could not give them ay. authority to•
visit those places.
Jury—We claim it as a right.
Mr. Commas Ssa.maxe—Mr. Brown has a most awful re-
sponsibility placed upon him.
Mr. Brown—My Lord, I only refused the Geptlemcn admis-
sion into the places in which the State prisoners are confined.
Mr. Sub-Sheriff Teasels—Mr. Sheriff Bothwell, my Lord,
has been cenobites' upon the subject, and be has given his full
concurrence to what Mr. Brown has done.
Foreman of the Jury—We beg leave, most respectfully, to
protest against the power exercised by the Court.
COIIMON Searicarr--Well, Gentlemen, the question is not
before the Court. If Mr. Brown has Acted wrongly or impro-
perly, you have your remedy; you can try the question.
TiceForeman said they should do so, and withdrew.
The Jury Proceeded to inspect Newgate most mi-
nutely, but were not permitted to eater the places in
which the State prisoners are confined. Shortly after
seven o'clock they entered the Court, and made the
following presentment, which was read by the De-
puty Clerk of Arraigns (Mr. CLARL), as follows-:
" The London Grand Jury respectfully beg leave to present
to the • Court, that, in their opinion, the alarming increase of
crime in the Metropolis, especially amongst the juvenile offen-'
dent, is to be chiefly attributed to the very ir.adequate state of
Newgate prison for the purpose of classing the prisoners, accord-
ing to their various degrees of criminality : thus boys and girls,
• who may have bevn committed- for some slight misdemeanours,
are forced to emaciate with the basest and most hardened felons,
and are consequently returned upon society (when the periods oi
their imprisonment are past) in possession of all the theory of
the most practised offenders. The Grand Jury, therefore, ear-
nestly implore the Court to give their most serious and imme-
diate attention to this deplorable state of Newgate prison, and
to adopt such measures as shall effectually remove this great dis-
credit from the Metropolis.
" The Grand Jury beg leave, reyectfully, further to present,
that in the exercise of their duty they have been. refused admis-
sion to that part of Newgate where the State prisoners are con-
fined ; thus the rights and privileges which have been handed
down from their predecessors to the Grand Jury, have, in their
humble judgment, been infringed.
(Signed) " GEO. ALLEN AYLWIN, Foreman.
" Grand Jury-room, 20th April, 1820."

After which the COMMON SERAANT observed tot
the Grand Jury, that for the latter part of their pre-
sentment there was no foundation whatever. The
Grand Jury had no such right ; in that, therefore,
' they were mistaken. It was. a custom which from
time to time had been allowed ; but he denied that
any such right existed, or that the Grand Jury ought
to interfere. The body of Magistrates and the Court
of Aldermen had the power of regulating the disci-
pline of the prison ; but it was ;lune a fallacy to sup-
pose that the Grand Jury had any such right or pri-
vilege handed down to them : it was, in fact, merely
given to such Grand Jurors or others who went there
for public or beneficial purposes. He concluded by
repeating that no such right had existed, nor did it
now exist. He then discharged tl4 Jury, with
thanks for their services.

CHESTER SPRING ASSIZES.

RIDING STANG!
THE LING v. WESTON Abip OTHERS.

The ATTORNEY-GSNERAL stated the case to the
Jury. This, he observed, was an indictment against
The defendant and eight other persons, for a conspi-
racy to injure the character, name, and faMe of a
young woman, named Mary Dutton, by accusing
her of having committed adultery with a man
named Peter Perceval. There were other counts,
charging the defendants with conspiring to accuse
the plaintiff of fornication, and also with a breach of
the peace. The parties reside at Kingsley, in this
county, where the circumstances took place. It ap-
peared that k is an old custom is this county when
a party; either male or female, is. suspected of hav-
ing committed adultery or fornication, for the peo-
ple to assemble in crowds round the house where the
person lives, carrying two or three persons on boards
on their shoulders, and accompanied with fifes, horns,
bells, &c. The persons on the boards call out, " I
ride, I ride !" the crowd ask " who do you ride for?"
They answer for so and so, mentioning the names of
the man and woman accused. The plaintiff in this
case, a decent looking young woman, was in this
manner attacked by the nine defendants and other
persons, who said aloud, that they rode for Moll
Dutton and old Perceval, who was 70 years of age,
and father of a large family. In consequence of this
the plaintiff's mother, who kept a school, in which
she was assisted by the plaintiff, lest all her scholars.
It was to recover damages for this injury, as well as
to prevent the recurrence of such disgraceful scenes
in future, that this action was brought. The Learned
Counsel said, that offers had been made to the de-
fendants to withdraw the prosecution if they would
restore the young woman's character, as that was
. the only object in view. They declined this, and cer-
tainly he should not make the offer again.
The COURT desired that the defendants, who are
on bail, should be called up. They appeared in front

of the Bar; they were
.for the most part young lads.l
-There w*, however, one old man among them.
The CovRT asked, whether they meant to accept 1
of the offer made to theni?
One of the prisoners.—My Lord, we prefer letting
the trial go on, as we are in no fault.
-•The following witnesses were then called: • . -
Mary Dutton examined by Mr. Jos:es.-:—I am a
single woman, and reside at Kingsley ; I am SI years
df age.: my mother keeps a school, and I assist her ;
I remember seeing SI number of people in Kingsley
on the '24th of June last; they came close by our
house,. and they rather stopped there; they made a
great noise ; they had kettles, old tin cans, fifes, and
sheep bells; they had also a long stick, with two
pocket•handkerchiefs on it ; one of them had a blad-
der, with a pipe in it; they had also a ladder; Wil
Liam Weston carried a bladder; Robert Ilignet car-
ried the colours ; William Golding and Thomas Nor-
cot carried the ladder; John Antwish and Ralph
Spruce were on the ladder ; George Ruther walked
near it ; Samuel Weston ran•from house to house get-
ting money ; I asked them what they were doing?
and they said, We are riding stang for Moll Dut-
ton and Peter Perceval." Perceval is a married
man, and has seven children grown up ; he is 60 or
70 years-of age ; they did not stop half a minute at
our door ; they went round the town.
Cross-examined by Mr. Wieetatsts.—They did not
make a plurnp stop at our house; they stopped next
door; they kept acting as man and wife all the way,
and at the different houses where they stopped ; those
on the ladder were lads.; Perceval-is a decrepid old
man, and walks with a stick.
Mr. WILLIAMS.—NobchIy would suspect you, a
young woman, to look after such an old decre-
pid man ?
Witness.—l believe they do; I have been told it
to my face, but it is not true, I never had any im-
proper intimacy with him ; there is such a rumour in
the town ; it has been abroad these four or
.five years ;
several hive told me of it four or five years since,
and wondered that the consequences of our intimacy
did not appear. lam acquainted with Perceval; I
have frequently walked with him to and from Chapel,
anti have met him in the lane from Newton, but
never alone.--Ellere there was a strong expression of
disapprobation in the body of the Court. Mr. MAR-
SHALL said, that such conduct. was extremely im-
proper ; any person found acting so again should be
taken into custody.)—l never was alone with him in
my life, either in a lane or field, unless -I met him-
when going on an errand ; I know Harrison's house,
but 1 never met him there on that night.
Mr. WILLIAMs.—What night?
• Witness—On the ISI of June ; I never was in
Harrison's old house with him in my life ; I speak of
the 2Sd of June, as the people said it was on that
night that we were together ; I never was in a wood
or a field with him at three o'clock in the morning.
Re-examined—The old man's son paid his ad-
dresses to me, and we were to have been married. On
my oath I never had any .connexion with this old man
in my life.
_ _ _ _ _

Mirgaret Cooper examined—l saw the crowd near
Perceval's house on the day in question ; I heard a
noise, but I do not know what they said ; they had
tin cans ; I do not know any of the parties who were
there—(The defendants were ordered to stand np).
I cannot say that any of the parties were there ; I
heard some fifes ; I do not know what riding ;tang
is ' • I never saw it but once before.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL—Then why did you not.
tell me before that they were riding stang when you
saw them ?—Witness—Because you never asked me;
I cannot say they were riding ;tang.
ATTORNEY-Gintenahat do you think they
were doing?
Witness—l thought they werc riding stang, but I
know naught about it.
Cross-examined—l know some of the defendants,
but-I do not know that they were in the crowd.
Sarah Perceval examined by Mr. Jowls—l am the
daughter of Peter Perceval ; I remember the crowd
coming to my father's door in June ; they were very
noisy ; I saw a. sheep-bell in the hands of a boy ; I
did not see the ladder ; I sat with my back to the
window, and only turned once ; one man came into
our house ; he said to me, " Come, you'll be no worse
than the rest," holding out his hand ; I sent him to my
father ; what I understand of riding stang is; when
a man has been lichin,,.,er his wife, or a wife licking her
husband ; my father -has eight children.
• Cross•examined—Riding stang is, when' the wife'
licks the husband ; I mistook at first.
Peter Perceval examined—l remember a crowd
being before my house in June last ; they made a
noise, and rung bells ; the crowd stopped, and a man
came into my house, and said they Nhre making Pre-
parations for Peter Perceval and Mary Dutton ; I
cannot say that it was any of the defendants ; I told
the man to get out of my house ; I am the Peter
Perceval they meant ; I only knew from what the
man said that they were riding stung for me ; I un-
derstand riding stang to be when a woman licked her
husband ; I knose Mary Dutton ; I have no more
knowledge of her than of others ; my son was court-
ing her; I never had any improper intimacy with
her in Harrison's house, or elsewhere, in my life ; I
do not know anything improper of her.
Cross-examined—l have always heard the meaning
of riding stang to be, when a woman licked her hus-
band ; I never was in Harrison's house with Mary
Dutton (in a loud tone); I never was in my life"; I
have .met her going to and coming from Chapel ; I
know Mr. Leigh ; he asked me whether there was
any thing between Mary Dutton and me ? I do not
recollect having told.him that I was bewitched about
that woman ; it I said so, I have forgotten it.
Mr. WILLIAms—You know he is here, so you had'
better take care.
Witness, in a loud voice, " Tes, I see him." I was
turned out of the Methoriit class for being. in her
company ; I do not know that it was at the instiga-
tion . of Mr. Leigh ; he charged me with being im-
properly intimate with her ; L went swear that I did
not say to him, that I believed I was bewitched
about her.
The COURT observed, that his being turned ont of
the Methodist class, was no proof 'of his connexion
with the plaintiff.
Mr. WILLIAMS said, all -the counts charged the
defendants with falsely accusing the.plaintiff; he had
witnesses to prove it ; and he -would let the Jury
judge of the witnesses' crs:iibility.
Witness.—l was turned cut of the class onls, for

tValking with. plaintiff ; T never was in !limes Bent-
leys wood, hor in a mowed field with her about three
o'crock in the morning ; I might ,ee her while I was
Bunting my cow ; I wo'nt swear but I have walked
Lathe lane with her, but not at an unseasonable hour,
or in a suspicious manner.
Re-examined by Mr. JoNrs.—l remember talking
to Mr. Leigh about her ; he a!:ked me why I talked
'to her? I said it was because my son kept company
with her—(in, a loud. voice) I never had any conne.c-
tion with her in my life. • -
By the CouRT.—I have nothing to say disreput=
able to tl►~ woman's character.

The case for the plaintiff being cicrecl,
Mi. WILLIAms addressed the Jury on the part of
the defendants, in a most ingenious as well, as h:,-
• mourous manner. The practice of riding stang, be
observed, was as old as the history of the County;
and yet this was, he believed, the first time that it
had beeli made the subject cf a criminal inr.:airy.---.
The Learned Counsel proceeded to comment. on the
evidence, and contended that there was not, with the
exception of-a slight Uuservation front the woman
herself, anything given in evidcnc:: to support the
indictment. On the contrary, l'erceval, his daugh-
ter, and the other witnesses, understood riding sna g-
to be for a purpose totally distinct from that tilleiesd
against the defendants. Riding sn‘ng was I; acwn
from, he had almost said, classical authority. One
of our most humourous pacts had introduced it in
one of his pieces, where he makes a grave and
solemn Knight inquire, on witnessing one cf these
processions, what strunge or heathenish invention
this was; whethcr it had sprung from the whore of
Babylon or Rome, or whether in was not an ovation.
or ii itimphal pi ecession for some great deed done by
an in.fivii!lial ? To this, said the ).earned Counsel, it
I recc:;:te,_ rightly. thus aiii,ercl Ralph° the 'equize:
" ctiotir he, ;hi.; antiquated smatter
Of yo.trs, is quite htside the matter,
These, rroccedivgs are. of course,
When she grey mare's the better horse;.
When over bree.:.;os, graeciy woman,
Strives to extend !.:r vast dominion."
Thus it was that the v,itty Hudibras described a
stang riding precession, and to the works of that
classical writer he would refer the Jury, if they
wished to be convinced of the fact. Now, according
to this celebrated w titer, as well as according to the
evidence, if stang riding meant anything k meant
this.- What then v. as the donspiracy ? This proces-
sion was only meant to designate the triumph of
some female who had gained the victory, aid thereby
'gratified her ambition in a struggle for the breeches !
The Learned Counsel, after some other obserrations
on. the evidence, was proceeding to state that he
would prove tl.e parties having been seen together
in a wood, in Harrison's house, in a mown held at
three o'clock irr-the morning, the female only half-
dressed ; that he would shew that she had been seen
getting over a gate, and going to her own house, when
The COURT interfered, and observed that there was
not evidence to support the indictment. -
The ATTORNEY-C. 7 ESERAL said he felt the difficulty,
but there was evidence of the .tssault.

The COURT was of opinion that these was hot.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL consented to withdravie
the in&ctment on condition that the young woman
was nct molested in future.

The COURT, in strong terms, cautioned the.priso-
nets against any such proceedings in future. If it
was found that they in future attempted to 'repeat
what they had done, or in .any way to molest or dis-
turb the young woman, the Court wouM visit them
with the most severe punishment.
The defendants bowed, and withdrew from Court.

A Cur.ar Msxuon or nom & Goon.-=A family in the East
Riding of Yorkshire dire to everxpoor woman, during her con-
finement, gruel made of two e,uarts of water, a pint of ale, a
little ginger, and a spoonful of oiltmeal, sweetened with treacle.
Let it sinuner three hours. This they give three or four times,
with two suits of baby-linen; and halt-a-guinea in money. The
milk, when very scarce, of three cows, to those who have a
child under three years. About six bushels of coals to thir.y
families, and at Christmas IC/. in money. The Lltly gives a
woman Si. for teaching thirty or forty girls, three times a-wetk,
an hour a-day, come when they will, and on Sunday three hou:s
of her time. By this she ascertains what improvement is made.
Those who cannot affutd much would be of treat service if they
gave only caudle. Confinement, 41. 41. candle, ltls. flit milk,
131. I3s. coals, 101. money, 101. schoolmistress, .54. linen, 11. lgs.
Total, 451. is.
The Will of the late Duke of RtcHmotiu was ad-
ministered to in Doctors Commons, on the_l3th iast.
by the Most Noble CHARLES the present Duke, the
son, and sole executor. It is dated on the I6th of June,
1818, and contains no disposition whatever Of perso-
nal property. All his real estate is devised to his soa
abovementioned in the most concise terms, the whole
contents being in a single page of common paper:—
The effects were necessarily sw•crn to for the assess..
ment of the probate duty ; their-amount was stated,
to be under £20,000. The will is witnessed by Ma-
jor-General 11IAITLAND, Lieutenant-Colonel READY,
and Major BOWLES. His Grace's doath; it will be
remembered, took place in August last.

Sept. 8, at Narpoor, James Gordon, Esq. Surgeon to the Er-
sidency, to Maria Lot.i , only daughter of Mr. George Fraser.
On the ith inst. at Aberdeen, Coins slaw, M.D. Surgeon f
the late 7th West India Regiment, to Jane Gibbon, only daughtir
of the lite Peter John K.'ox, Ni.D. formerly of Santa Cruz.
April. 9, at Ramsgate, Louis (Eugene) de Sara, late Lieute-
nant in the French Army, to Miss Sharpe, only daughter Or
William Sharp, Esq. of High-street.
April 9, at Dcal, Lieutenant William Hill, R.N. to Miss A!.
Thornton, both cf Dover.
April 12, at Colchester, Thomas Joseph Turner, Esq. Cartz.n
in the Hun. East India Company's Military Service, to
daughter. of John Bawtrer, Esq. of Colchester.
April 13, at Walcot Chwch, Bath, Bagadier- General Jolty
Pine Coffin, C.B. third son of the Hey. John Pane Coffin, of
Porticdge, in the county of lkvon, to Maria, eldest daughter %.4
the late dcorge ALinilanil, Esq. of Belmont.

DIED.
On the Bth inst. at Kennitrjton aged 73, Mr. George I.7zw:nl
formerly a Purser in th: Navy wad East-India Service.
Satrzda7, at Ramsgate, Anne Maria, eldest daughter of Ed-
ward Whitehouse, Eq. late of his 'Majesty's Customs.
Friday, at Alitcham-eommon, the Rev. C. T. lleathcote, D.l).
Rcctor of Little Wigborough,
The 13th' idst. at War; llcrts, William King, Esq. Solicitor.
"Alunday, at Sta;:ord, Thos. Bateman Perti,r.:, Esq. of Eickea-
score, near Stafford.
Friday, aged 16, Lydia, only daughter of Mrs. Tart, of tLe
llorgerford Cc•::e.2-1:ol:se, Strand.
April 13, Yates, youngest son of* Dr. Bostoc'.:, f
Great Corson-street.

Tu:..sclay, Ilanlrstexkl, aged nearly two years, Hannah, tlie
roungest d-aui.bter ot Thor.ias rowel Jurton, Esq. 51. P.