Star.
London, England, 1821-06-06 00:00:00

MIDDLF:SEX SESSIONS.

The Sessions ;;;Menced yestetday, before the
Chairman, Mr. CONST, and a Bench of Magistiatec.
THE KING, AT TILE PROSECUTION OF JAMES BROWNE,

ESQ. M.P. V. ROBERT BINGHAM, ESQ.

This was a prosecution for endeavouring to pro-
voke to fight a duel, and excited great interest from
the rank of the parties—the prosecutor being Repre-
sentative in Parliament for the County sof Mayo, in
Ireland, of which the defendant is the High Sheriff.
nr. PHILLIPS, the Irish Barrister, who has been
lately called to the bar in this country, ably stated
the case for the prosecution.
The facts as stated by the Learned Gentleman, and
proved in evidence, were simply as follows :—Some
time in the month of February last, the prosecutor
being at the time On a visit at the house of his father-
in-law, in Kent, the defendant called on him, and
stated that he had come over from Ireland for the
purpose of complaining to him of the conduct of the
Postmaster of Ennis, near which town in Ireland the
defendant resides, and who, he said, was insufferably
uncivil to him and his family. He proceeded to say,
that he understood the Postmaster had been ap-
pointed through the influence of the prosecutor's
father (the Right Hon. Denis Browne), and therefore
he applied to the prosecutor to procure him redress,
by the removal of the Postmaster from his situation.
The prosecutor assured the defendant that he would
acquaint his father with the complaint the defendant
had mule. The prosecutor accordingly lost no time
in making his father acquainted with the defendant's
complaint of the Postmaster, in consequence of which
his father gave him a written paper, stating, that it
was not through his interest the Postmaster had been
appointed. In a short time after the defendant called
again on the prosecutor, who laid this paper on the
table, and was about to leave the zoom without
giving any further explanation, when the defendant,
calling him back, said he had other business with
him, for, said he, "your father has made my uncle
promises which must be enforced, and I have brought
a ft iend from Ireland for that purpose, and I expect
a meeting him you." The prosecutor replied he
had nothing further to say, and was leaving the room,
but the defendant called him again, and insisted on
a meeting, saying at the same time, " we can't fight
in this country ; I am going to Mayo, and I know
you'll be there Soon." 4con after this the defendant
wrote a letter to the prosecutor, which clearly nue&
fested his determination to force the prosecutor to
fight a duel.
James Browne, Esq. the prosecutor, proved the
facts, and stated, that he never bad any quaxrel or
dispute with the defendant, nor had he ever. given
him the slightest provocation.
Mr. ALLEY addressed the Jury on the behalf of
the defendant.

The CiTAIRMAS charged the Jury, that if they
believed the defendant intended to provoke the pro-
secutor to fight a duel, they must return a verdict
of guilty.
The Jury, without any hesitation, found the de-
fendant Guilty, and the Court sentenced him to pay
a tine of 1.2.50, and find security to keep the peace,
himself in and two sureties in £lOO, for two
years.--The defendant paid the fine in Court, and was
allowed to depart.

COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, DUBLIN, JUNE e.

C.%U.A r. NONANIAItA•

The judgment of the Court was delivered in this
case on the Ist instant. It will be recollected that the
plaintiff obtained a verdict fur heavy damages for a
breach of promise of marriage. Judge: FLETCIIER,
MOORE, and JOHNSON, were of opinion, that the ver-
dict could not stand. Lord NORBURY differed from
his brdther Judges, but •the majority being against
the verdict, it was accordingly set aside.

On the 2,lth ult. a daring robbery was committed
in the house of Mr. William Warnock, of Cloghfin,
near Armagh. The villains bound the whole family,
consisting of four persons, some of whom they beat
severely with sticks. They exercised the most horrid
brutality towards an old woman, aged about eighty
years. In order to induce her to confess where her
property was concealed, they placed her on a fire of
straw. The following property was removed, viz.
in gold nine guineas and a half, some silver, eighty
dozen of yarn, a quantity of wearing apparel, bacon,
&c. Some of the goods were found on Saturday, in
a pipe, on the road leading from Lurgavallen to
Armagh. Two fellows, Dennis Moore, of Newry,
and John O'Neal, of Armagh, have been taken up
and committed to jail, informations having been
lodged against them for the robbery.
About ten o'clock on Friday night (25th ult.) the
house of Mr. Patrick Drew, of Mount Newton county
of Meath, was entered by four men, three of whom
were armed with a blunderbuss and pistols; a fifth
remained outside the door, and occasionally gave
directions to those within the house. Mr. Drew got
out of a window, for the purpose of alarming his.
neighbours, but he was pursued by the robbers and
brought back. They remained upwards of two hours
in the house, and took away with them two silver
watches, silver spoons, several other articles of plate,
some cash, and a quantity of apparel.
On Saturday night (the 26th ult.) three dwelling-
houses and thirteen office-houses, were set on fire and
consumed, at a place called Woodend, at the foot of
Blackamore-hill, situate one mile from Blessington,
'd six miles from RattiCoole, in the County of,
lor The premises destroyed were unoccupied.