Star.
London, England, 1826-01-05 00:00:00

KENT ASSIZES.

The Winter Gael Delivery for the County of Kent,
commenced at Maidstone on Monday. The Calend'sr
contains about 190 commitments.

.......
The Grand Jury having ignored a bill of indictment
against Lieutenant hlillett, of his Majesty's ship RA...
millies„ for the wilful murder of Robert Carpenter, at
Lydd, on the 11th August, by shooting him with a
pistol, the Lieuteaant (who had been admitted to b.il,
and now surrendered) remained to be tried upon the
Coroner's Inquisition ;but before he was arraigned,
Mr. Baron Iluitrcir intimated that he had great
difficulty in putting defendant upon his trial, in COOS!**
quence of an objection apparent on the face of the Co-
roner's Inquisition. The Inquisition alleged that the
deceased came by his death in consequence of the act
of Milieu, Lieutenant on board his Majesty's
ship Ramillies," without giving the Lieutenant his Chris-
tian name,or even averring that thrßarrsillies was within
the body of the County. Unless this objection could be
remnved,he thought he ought not to array the defendant.
Mr. ADOLPHUS and Mr. NIARSHAM, for the prosecu-
tion, submitted that there was svfEcient certainty in the
description of the defendant to put him on his trial.—
Every intendment most be made in favour of the Co-
roner's Inquisition, which, though traversable, was in
the nature of a judicial record. It was impossible for
the Coroner, perhaps, to ascertain the Christian name of
the party-accused. Here was certainly enough ; and
it was for the defendant to shew that he was not the
party intended. Suppose a prisoner, upon being ex-
amined before the Coroner, or a Magistrate, refused
to give his Christian name, it would be sufficient to de-
scribe him as a person whose name was unknown.—
Suppose the defendant to be tried and acquitted on this
Inquisition, and should afterwards be indicted, he might
plead such acquittal in bar of indictment. .

Alr. Serjrant eb.u.ow and Mr. Knox, fur the defendant, were
. .

stopped by
Mr. Baron HULL9CIC. who was clearly of opinion
that the description of the prisoner was too uncertain,
to justify him in permitting the trial to proceed. It
would have been very ea.), to ascertain the defendant's
Christian name. This was, not like the case where a
party refuses to give his name; for in such -cases the
refusal and the identity of the accused might be made.
matter of averment and evicharice. Here there was so
refusal of that ..kind hoggepteii; and, therefore, there
was no satisfactory answer to the objection; witheibt
adverting tb anvpaher objections app trent on the ee.l
cord,.it was.macient to say that the defendant ought
not to betried on this inquisition.
The inquisition was ordered to be quashed, and the defendant
was discharged.
William Russell was indicted for stealing, at Teston,
on the Iltb November, a pint of ale, value twopence,
the property of Lord Barham.
Mr. MARSHAM conducted the prosecution ; and Mr.
Cl..taKson the defence —The prisoner had been occa-1
sionally employed to brew beer at Lord Barham's,
house. He had been intrusted with the key of the
cellar. Suspicion being entertained that he made free'
with the beer, he was watched by his Lordship's butler
on the 11th Novemb-r, and was taken in the act of
drawing a pint of ale. After this he was allowed to,
remain in the house until the 14th, when he went away.
He was taken up on the 17th, and on the 28th he was
committed for trial.

On cross.ezamination, it appeared that the Noble
prosecutor had been described by a wrong Christian
name; whereupon the Learned J Age directed an ac-
quittal. Verdict—Not Guilty.

It is propose.' to construct a canal I•r sloop naviga-
tion around the Fall, of Niagara, to connect the waters
of Lakes Erie and Ontario.

In repairing an old building lately,. in Newtown,
Connecticut, a leather bag, containing several hundred
dollars in silver, was found secreted in the chimney. It
is supposed the money was placed by the former owner
and occupanr,an old bachelor, some time since deceased.
Friday, about three o'clock in the afternoon, bis Ma-
jesty's packet HARLEQUIN, whiist•attempting to make
the harbour of Howth during an extremely thick frosty
fog, took the ground at the back of the pier, before the
direction at which its entrance ley bad been clearly as..!
attained. The fog having &tared off immediately'
afterwards, the m.ll and passengers were landed with-
out delay in Howth harbour, and the vessel was got off
without the slightest injory.
Fin s.—About ten o'cl-ck on Tuesday night, a fire
broke out in the house of Mr. J nes, a boot and shoe-
maker, in 'Globe-street, Bethnal-green, which instantly
caught the stair-cite, and threatened the safety of the
family and lodge's, who narrowly escaped with their
lives. By the speedy arrival of the firemen, aided by
a plentiful supply of water, the house. was preserved
from destruction.—Yesterday morning, a fire broke out
in the boiling house of Mr. Woodford, a tripe dressei,
in Tothill-street, Westrotoster, which was confined tot
the adjoining stabling and Mr. Woodford's warehouse,
which, how ever, were de troyed.
FRIGMG VOYAGE OF DISGOVERL—The Paris ACR-
' decoy of Sciences, ni its sitting on Monday, ucceived st;
letter from the Minister of the Marine, announcingthat
the ell-vette l'Astrolabe, Captain Dumont de chtilijlir
was about to sail on a.voyage of discovery, and reqisestr
jog the Academy to appoint a Commission to prepare
j such instructions as might he judged expedient. The
llobject of this expedition it .to explore certain pairs of
the globe, e hich ale not rt sufficiently wal known,
and paiticu'aily the Coats of New Guinea, and alb.*
of New Zealand: A Commission, consist's', of Messrs.
Cuvier, Ar..g Delaplace, Desfon a;nes, D ilotig,* and
Aithrone de Ito,sei, was appointed in c -nseijuetice.—
Galisaani'a ides emger.