Star.
London, England, 1820-12-14 00:00:00

LAO' litiviittatzga.

COURT OF KING'S WICH, DECEMMIIt 13.
THE 41101EPORATION Of HEADING V. VINES, SEN.
Mr. &ARM= stated, that this was an action to
try tLe right of die Corporation tocertain ,tolls taken
:by them.on all corribrought to that Borough Mar-.
ket for sale. This demand on the part of the Cor-
poration was founded on several Charters, granted
at different periods, all confirmed by the last Charter
granted. The privilege claimed was, to take toll in
kind, in the proportion of a luart for each quarter
of corn, of any description, brought to Reading
Mallet for sale. This right originally belonged
to the Abbot and Monastery of Reading, and, at the
suppression of that religious house by Henry yin.
the right was transferred to the Mayor and Corpo-
ration. This was a question tried and settled by
tile Decree of the Court of Exchequer, in the reign
of James I. The toll in the present case was not, as
is usual, taken from the buyer, but from the seller.
The usage had been, when corn was brought to the
Market in bulk, for the Officer of the Corporation to
watch the sale of it, and when it was about to be
delivered to the buyer, to call out, Toll, toll," and
then dip in his measure, and take the toll, at the rate
of a quart for each quarter. If the sale was made
by sample, then the seller was bound to send to the
buyer a separate parcel of the grain, equal to the
toll, on the bulk to be delivered to the buyer, as
agent of the seller, to the tell collector. The Cor-
poration claimed toll not only on the corn sold in the
Market, but also for all corn sold in any other part
of the Borough, or delivered for consumption in the
Borough. These tolls had been invariably taken
and repeated ; leases granted of them to individuals
by the Corporation; and it was °nil, recently that
payment had been disputed, and that on the follow-
ing grounds :—The Jury were aware that the legal
bushel was the Winchester bushel, of eight quarts to
the peck, four pecks to the bushel, and eight bushels
to the quarter; but it had been customary to use
other bushels, varying in size, in various places.
This had been found very inconvenient, and an Act
of Parliament had.been recently passed, rendering it
unlawful to use any other than the Winchester bushel.
The inhabitants of Reading had been in the habit of
using a bushel containing a larger quantity than the,
Winchester measure; and on the Act in question
being-passed, the farmers frequenting the Reading
Nlar'ket considered themselves aggrieved, and con-
tended that they were only liable to pay a quart of
corn for a quarter Reading measure, and not a quart
for a quarter Winchester measure; and sever al of
them refused to pay toll in any other way. The
present defendant was amongst those who refused,
and the Jury were.now called on to try this (:o the
parties) important question.
The Decree of the Court of Exchequer made in
the reign of James I. deciding the right of the Cor-
poration to receive toll, was put in ; as were leases
of the tolls to different individuals, from 1680 to
1813. The tolls were now in the hands of the Corpora-
tion. A number of witnesses were also called, to prove
the payment of these tolls on wheat, barley, oats,
peas, beans, and other grain, as far hack as living
memory went: and also that the Corporation were
at the expense of keeping the Market-place, several of
the streets, and the bridges in the Borough, amount-
ing to 14 or 1.5 in number, in repair, with the pro-
duce of these tolls.

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Mr. JERVIS, on the part of the defendant, did not.
intend to contradict anyof the facts proved by the
plaintiffs, but he should deny the right altogether of
the Corporation to these tolls. His Learned Friend
had rested his claim on the Charter of Elizabeth,
which, he said, gave this toll, belonging formerly to
the Abbott of Reading, and falling into the hands of
the Crown at the suppression of Monasteries by Henry
VIII. to the Corporation. He should contend, that
the Charter of Elizabeth gave no such toll. The
Crown could derive nothing from the suppression of
the Monastery of Reading, which the Monastery of
Reading did not previously possess. The toll now
claimed by the plaintiffs was what was called, in the
language of the law, Thorough Toll. He would shew,
by documentary evidence, that the Abbot of Real-
ing. never possessed a right to any such toll. All
which the Abbot and Monastery of Reading had a
right to, or were in the receipt of, at the time of the
suppression, was the duty of package, stallage, or,
tollage. That was, a toll for the standings of per-
sons at the weekly market, and four fairs, held in the
Borough of Reading during the year. He would
shew, that in the year after the suppression, as ap-
peared by entries in the Minister's books, the Crown re-
ceived, for cribbage and tollage, at the fairs in Read-1
ing, 2 ts. 4d. and for the stallage or standing of divers,
persons, at the weekly market, for one year, 7s. and by'
a subsequent entry in the Minister's books, in the 4th
of Edw. VI. the tollage received by the Crown from
the Fairs appeared to be 2s. Id. and the sum paid
by divers persons for stallage or standings for one
year, in the weekly market, was 245. Tbis, he con-
tended, was all the right of toll which the Abbey
pos'sesed ; all which came into possession of the
Crown at the'suppression, and all which the Crown
could grant. He was ready to admit, that the Mayor
and Corporation were Lords of the Market of Read-
ing, and were entitled to a .stallage from the persons
standing there ; but he denied that they had any right
to the toll of a quart in every quarter of corn sold ;
much less had they any right to the extensive claim
they now set up of tollage on all corn sold in Read-
ing, whether the same was sold in the market, or
other parts of the Borough, on market days, or any
other days. The Learned Counsel then proceeded
to put in a variety of documentary evidence, con-,
sisting of Records and Charters, from the time of
Richard I. downwards, and to examine witnesses in
support of his statement.
The Curer JUSTICE summed up, and the Jury
found a verdict for the plaintiffs.
OLD BAILEY, DECEMBER 13.

Samuel Davies was indicted for stealing from the
person of Henry Forley a watch and seals, on the
18th of November last. The prosecutor was passing
through Long-acre on the evening of that day, and
was run against by three men. The prisoner then
forcibly took from his person the watch and chain.
The prosecutor was extremely infirm from ill health,
and was unable to make sufficient resistance to secure
his property. The prisoner was afterwards secured]
and brought to justice.
Mr. Baron GAMY,' in reciting the particulars et

the case to the Jam expressed his surprise that the
prisoner had not been capitally indicted.. The case
Wa¢ one of considerable enormity. •
The Jury found ?,,verdict—Guilty.
Mr. Baron Gennow then addressed the prisoner,
and told him that be might think himself fortunate
that he had not been convicted upon a- capital
charge, as in that case he would have received sem..
tence f death at the conclusion of the Sessions.—
Considering the nature of the offence be had com-
mitted, he should think it his duty to punish him
with the utmost severity allowed by the law. He
might therefore expect to be sentenced to transporta-
tion for life.—Prisoner—" Thank you, my Lord f"
The prisoner is a young man with a very hardened
countenance. He seemed to receive the sentence
with the greatest indifference.
When the prisoner had retired from the bar, Mr.
Baron GARROW observed upon the infamous con-
duct of the prisoner. If the Jury bad had no other
knowledge of his character, the last sentence the
prisoner uttered fully acquainted them with it.
The prosecutor was allowed his expenses, and re-
ceived much commendation for his conduct.

R. May, aged 17, stood indicted for having, on
the 13th of October last, stolen from the person of
T. Kidd, a domestic of Lord Wm. Gordon, a watch,
chain, and seals, in Piccadilly:
' The prosecutor stated, that on the morning in
question, he left his Lordship's horse to go to iqr.
Fuller's, an apothecary, and the streets being crowded
in consequence of an Address going up to the Queen,
he was surrounded by a gang of thieves, and his
watch and its appendages were stolen. He felt the
watch being drawn from his fob-pocket, but did not
see the person who took it.
Several Bow-street Officers swore that they saw
the prisoner with the prosecutor's watch in his hand;
in about a minute after he was robbed, they took the
prisoncr.into cfistody. He had previously been in
company with a gang of thieves.
The prisoner said, he picked up the watch in the
street. It lay on a heap of straw when lie took it up.

Mr. Baron GARROW called back the witnesses, and
they said it was impossible, from the density of the
crowd, that the prisoner could have picked it up.
The prosecutor produced the watch, there was
no mark on the case, and it did not appear to have
fallen on the stones.

The Jury found the prisoner—Guilty.

Two young men, named Jones and Gelding, were
indicted for stealing a hive of bees, the property of
Mr. Simon, a gentleman in some way connected
with. Eton College. The prisoners were stopped
with the hive by a watchman at Kensington. Mr.
Simon identified the property. Several persons gave
the accused most excellent characters. The prison-
ers said that they picked up the hive at Uxbridge,
on the road side.

The Jury found them Guilty, but strongly recom-
mended them to mercy. Several Gentlemen offered
to take them into immediate employ, if they were
discharged.
Mr. Baron Gmutow'oddressed the prisoners in a
most feeling manner ; he believed the present was
their first offence, and that, up to the present charge,
they were honest and industrious men: He implored
them in future not to deviate from the paths of rec-
titude ; but, if work failed, and distress overtook
them, to hope for a brighter day. He sentenced
them to pay a fine of one shilling to the King, and
to be delivered to their friends.

J. Samuel:, a fisherman, stood indicted for steal-
ing tw•o sets of chaise harness, the property of Mr.
B. Whitlock.

Mn, Whitlock identified the property, and proved
that it was stolen from his premises in the night-time,
in October last.

flenman, a constable of Fulham, apprehended the
prisoner, aud searched his house at Fulham, and
found the harness, and other property, ins cupboard,
which was curiously secreted, by some piper, the
same pattern as that which was hung on the walls
of the apartment, being pasted over the cupboard-
door. The paper was dry, and must have been on
the cupboard-door a considerable time, and it is sur-
prising that it was discovered.
The prisoner said, that he found the property in a
ditch in the middle of the night, after having moored
his barge, and was returning home ; there was no
reward offered for the property, nor was it adver-
tised, or he should have taken it to the owner.

The Jury found the prisoner—Guilty.
The Officer stated, that he was told that there was
a plant (a secret recess for stolen property) in the
prisoner's house ; and, after some search, he disco-
vered the cupboard by striking against the door, and
with a knife cut the paper round the case of it, and
besides the harness, he found a crate of glass that
had been stolen.

Tuesday, James Tobin, a young man of genteel
appearance, was indicted capitally for assaulting
Charles Overall, putting him in fear, under a threat
of charging him with an unnatural offence, and,
taking from his person five shillings hi money. There
was a second indictment, charging the prisoner with
robbing Mr. Overall of £lO in Bank-notes, under
the same circumstances, but this was not tried. The
case was fully made out.

The prisoner made a very long and artful defence,
which consisted almost entirely of horrible accusa-
tions against his prosecutor.
Harrison, the Officer, declared that the prisoner,
when at the Mansion-House, made my accusation
against the prosecutor, nor did he make the defence
which he had now made. Witness heard the pri-
soner say, as he was leaving the Mansion-House—
I dare say they'll hang me, but I don't care for
that; I'll open such a, scene when I come to the.
Old Bailey !"
The RECORDER summed up the evidence, and the
Jury merely turned round in the box and pronounced
the prisoner Guilty—Death. He heard the verdict
unmoved. • ,

Mr. LAW then rose and said, that although he
had defended the prisoner, as he was bound to do,
to the best of his humble ability, he felt himself
called upon to declare (now that his client could no
longer be prejudiced by such a declaration) that he
most perfectly concurred in the propriety of the ver-
dict given by the Jury. It was in justice to the prose-
cutor and his own feelings, that he made this statethent.
The REcoitima.--,0 No reasonable Jll eouldin-
tertaia a doubt_upoa the subject."

POLICE.

Yesterday, Andrew Milne was brought before
Gronon Miginuct, Esq. the Sitting Magi,trate, at
Bow-street, charged with violently assaulting and
wounding Mr. Mathias Matthewman, of Long.
acre, who stated, that on Tuesday night, about half.
past ten o'clock, he, in company with a friend of the
name of Maynard, was passing through Spring-g„r.
dens, when he met the prisoner in company with too
lads, who ran 'against him, evidently by design, and
forced him off the foot-path. He remonstrated widl
them on the impropriety of their conduct, but,
stead of making
.any apology, they were extremely
insolent, which indtrced him to seize the prisoner,
who was the foremost; by the collar: he re-ised
lently, and struck him with an instrument. %%I:el
wounded him in his hand, and nearly cut off ore Ai
his fingers. The prisoner threw tl:•: instrumen:
with which he had wounded him ; and, on its

found and picked up, it proved to be a
The prisoner was at length secured, :in:- i,
charge of a watchman, who convel e.l i,im c.•
Martin's watch-house. - The pi-ismer is about l
19 Teen age. On his being called upon to
an account ot himself, he said be wa.; a '
printingolifice. He accounted.for the .
the sword by saying he belonged to a private ;.
and was returning from acting, and that the s%
'was essential to the character he had been perjor:
via. •' the love-sick Romeo !"—He had on the Cie);
he had been acting in. A constable also produced
an elegant pair of embroidered small-clothes, a party.
coloured doublet, of antique cut, a box of rouge, an
old greasy wig, and several play-bills ; the whole of
which curious articles the prisoner had with him
when he commenced the attack l He was ordered to
find bail, or be committed. His companions mace
-a quick exit at the commencement oif the row.
TOWN-HAL Sou riswa x.—Yesterday, Loa Da-
vis was brought up for re-examination, charged with
being concerned, with a number of others, in wound-
ing and robbing Mr. John Fanning, on the King's
highway. The prosecutor stated, that he resides at
N 0.3, Carter-court, Re2cross-street. On Friday last,
be was standing near the corner of Dover-street,
George's-fields, when he saw a number of men ai,-
proich him in a body ; they were for thembst p'o:
armed with bludgeons ; but not suspecting that thty
had any design upon himself, he took no precaution
to avoid them. However, as they passed by be re-
ceived a number of blows, and was knocked down,
hut did not lose the use (If speech or sense; he calk.'
as loud as he could for help, On which same of the
ruffians pinioned his arms, and placed something an
his mouth to prevent his giving , any alarm,
others cut all his pockets. out with knives. Whilst
this was going on, he had an opportunity of viewing
several of them closely, and recognized the prisoner,
of whom he had some knowledge when the latter was
a milkman ; has not the slightest doubt of his being
the man. All the money he had about him at the
time was three shillings in silver, and of this sum the
villains robbed him.—Mr. John Taylor, of the Dol-
phin public-house, Itedcross-street, was passing at
the time of the robbery, and saw the prosecutor at,
tacked by a numerous, body of men, who assaulted
and knocked him down. When they were using the
knives, heard the former exclaim, ‘. Oh ! Davis,
don't kill.mer Believes the prisoner to be the man
to whom those words were .addressed : but there were
so many of the thieves, and they seemed so deter-
mined, that witness thought it imprudent to interfere.
George Welfare, a Constable, deposed to having air,
prehended the prisoner at two o'clock last Saturday
morning, in consequence of informatiim he had re-
ceived. He described him as a very dangerous cha-
racter, from whom he expected a stout resistance;
but it seems he had no knife about him at tfe time.
The prisoner is the same man who was char,ed some
time back with stabbing Hyams, the Constable.—lle
was committed for further examination.

Tuesday evening, about seven o'clock, as Mr. Hin-
dle, jun. of Chancery-lane, was crossing Waterloo.
bridge, he was followed by a gang of fellows, whom
he suspected intended to make an attack upon him
for the purpose el fobbing him ; he, however, prior
to leaving home, had prepared himself with a loaded
pistol, which he put into his poCket, and, upon the
fellows coming up close to him, he was in the act of
taking the pistol from his pocket, in order to defend
himself, when it accidentally went off; and shattered
Mr.Hindle's hand in a most shocking manner. He
immediately fainted from the shock of the moments
and was supported to a surgeon's in the Strand,where
his hand was dressed. He was afterwards conveyed
home in a hackney-coach in a very bad condition,...
His hand was nearly blown off.
ESCAPE OF A Cowv;cr.—lnformation has been re.
ceived at Queen-square Office, that William Wilma,
who was tried at the Old Bailey Sessions, on the 15th
of September, 1819, and received on board the Res-
titution hulk, at Sheerness, on the 16th of October
following, under sentence of seven years' transporta-
tion, succeeded in effecting his escape from the Hos-
pital ship last week, it is supposed by lowering him-
self with a rope, and swimming on shore.

- --
. DIED.
The Bth inst. in Greenwich Park, in bet lath year, 3laris,
second daughter of Sir Thomas Lavie, K.C.B. acc.
The 26th ult. at Exeter, Sarah, widow of John Rasbleigir,
Esq. late Secretary at Gibraltar to four successive Governors,
for a .period of fifty-three years.
The Bth inst. Charles Edward Newbery, Esq. late surgeon to
the Non. East India Company's ship Marquis ()maiden,
The Bth inst. at Plymouth, Anne, _relict of the late Thenw
Lockyer, Esq. of Wembury-House, Devonshire.
The 12th of June last, at Tatdna, in the East Indies, of a
malignant fever, Lieutenant Lucas Lawrence, of the Hon. Eat
India Company's Bengal Establishment, and commanding his
Highness the Nizam's Artillery at Auraagabad.

COAL MARKET, Ds. 13.
Ships at Market. Ships Said. Price.
81' Newcastle 34. 34$ 3d to oos 04
20 Sunderland 9i 34s 04 to 42s 6d

--
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