Star.
London, England, 1826-08-22 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

LANCASTER, Amin 19. -
NORTE' V. JACKSON AND MFR.

Mr. SCARLET; in opening the case, described it as
being one of the most interesting and important which
had occurred during the Assizes. Its circumstances were
such, that the plaintiff found an appeal to a Court of
Justice the only step by which he could vindicate him.
self against the foulest and molt abominable charge that
ever could be made against the honour and character
of Man. He was a Gentleman who had been made the
victim of an obscure and malicious slander, inasmuch
as it had for a time ruined him in the esteem, and ex-
eluded him from the society, of persons amongst whom
Ihe was entitled by hit rank and fortune to move. The
present defendants were the only persons to whom the
calumny could be traced ; and they, either by their own
industry, or by the diligence with which they had found
others to screen them, had eluded the anxious exertions
of the plaintiff up to April last. From the month of
November 1824, when the atrocious slander was first
put in circulation, down to that period, he bad been
unable to succeed in bringing the slanderers before a
Court of Justice, there to substantiate or disavow it.
When he had related the history of the transaction, he
thought they would agree with him, that this was one
of the cases in which the character of an innocent and
honourable man was sometimes whispered away, and
his peace of mind destroyed, in the gratification of a
dark and malign4nt revenge. The party who sought
redress at their hands was a Gentleman of an ancient
fan►ily and independent fortune in Yorkshire, and Was
alio possessed of considerable estates in Ireland; his
general residence was at Thurston Castle, in the
neighbors' hood of Kirby Lonsdale, where he of course
mixed in the highest society. He had the honour of
I being on terms of friendship w:t i the two Gentlemen

who at that moment tat by his side (Sir W. Ingiebys
and Mr. Nowell, the late Candidate for the county ,
Lancaster), and who, by their presence on that occa-ion,
shewed that their opinion of the honour and charactet of
Mr. North still remained the same. A natural son of Mr.
North's father, and therefore his brother in blood, whose
name was Needham, had died in the infancy of his son,
and-his widow. being a lady whose property was situated
in Ireland, she retired with her family to that country.
When the son had arrived at the proper age, he was
sent to England to complete an education befitting the
profession for which he was designed—that being the
Church. Mr. North received has nephew, and having
no family himself, he felt it his duty to see that the
education of his brother's sots was properly attended to.
He accordingly determined to send him to the school .
of St. Bees, in Cumberland.; but he then found that
young men were not received at that establishment until
they had attained an age at which his nephew had not
yet arrived. The plaintiff at that time was upon the
point of leaving his residence for London, and having
provided another abode for his nephew until the time at
which he would enter at St. Bees, he left him at Thur-
ston Castle, placing the establishment in a certain degree
under his control. He (Mr. S.) had now to introduce to
the notice of the Jury the defendants in this cause. At
the period,in question they had lived as servants to the
plaintiff two or three years. Jackson was the butler, and
had unfortunately insinuated himself into the confidence
of IVlr.North, who, not liking to attend to the arrange.
ments of his establishment, left them almost entirety
under his direction; so that the establishment at the
Castle might have been called Jackson's, he having
hired the servants and dismissed them at his pleasure,
and, in short, superintended the entire family arrange-
ments. His wife was the housekeeper; and as her
husband was the master, so she was the mistress of the
castle. Mr. Needham soon discovered the mat-practiced
of these people, and made them known to his uncle..—
Jackson finding the close inspection exercised by Mr.
Needham, to interrupt the prosecution of his own views.
frequent altercations took place between them, pre-
viously to Mr. North's return. When. that Gen-
tleman did return, he found, upon examination, the
itaternents of Mr:Needham so well supported, that he
determined to dismiss him in the following November.
Mr. Pearson, the attorney of Mr. North, was called in
to examine Jackson's account, and the result was, that
for many sums for which he had taken credit, he could
show no vouchers, and that even supposing his o.a
accounts correct, he was still considerably indebted to
Mr. North. Jackson then found that some one must
have. made Mr. North acquainted with his conduct. and
soon fixed upon Mr. Needham as the person. From
that moment the jealousy which be had before enter•
tained ripened into an ardent desire of revenge, which
he determined to gratify by making insinuations against
the character of Mr. Needham, and thereby destroying
the affection which existed between that Gentleman and
his uncle. The attempt, however, failed. Mr. Need-
ham soon after this learned from the g trdenerthat Mrs.
Jackson had insinuated a most dishJnourable charge
against himself and his uncle. He immediately com-
municated the circumstance to Mr. North, and Mr.
Pearson was desired to investigate the matter. Both
defendants denied having made this insinuation, but
Mrs. Jackson did not acquit herself of having used par-
ticular expressions, although she disclaimed all intention
of giving them the sense in which they had been aft.
derstood. In consequence of this, a post-chaise was
ordered, and the Jacksons were instantly sent off from
the Castle. This took place on the 15th of November,
1824. The subject was further investigated by Mr.
Pearson, but without his being able is acquire further
information. Shortly after an arrangement was entered
into for placing Mr. Needham at the school of a
Clergyman at Long Preston ; but before he left Thur-
ston, Mr. North received a letter from the Clergyman,
stating that in consequence of certain ritmours in circa.
lation respecting his chat amt. he could not receive Mr.
Needham into his establishment. Mr. Pear 01 then
waited on the Clergyman, who stated that he had re-
turned the letter which conveyed the information to him,
and refused to give up the name of the author. Search
was now made for the Jacksons, in order to bring them
before a Court of Justice, but without nieces:. In the
mean time Mr. North, who had already suffered deeply
from the calumnies circulated against hi m,was exposed to
the mortification and distress: of receiving a letter from
the Colonel of a Militia Regiment to which he belonged,
mentioning these reports, and stating that if Mr. North
did not take every possible means of disproving them,
he must be dismissed the Regiment. Mr. Pearson was
again employed to wait upon Colonel Plumb, but that
Gentleman thought fit to refuse to give up his author.
He must say that if he had been in Mr. North's situa-
tion, he would under such circumstances, have proceeded
against,Col. Plumb as much as if he had been the origi-
nal slanderer; The Learned Couasel then desgibed the
difficulty with which Mr. North's agents had discovered
the Jacksons, and stated this to be the earliest possible
time at which be could bring them before a Court of
Justice, and vindicate his character by a public action.
He would not pollute the ears of the Jury by repeating
the words used by the defendants ; it was only necessary
to say that they imputed to the plaintiff--and that
Mr. Needham was a postillion or post-boy. The report
was of such a nature as almost inevitably to bring ruin
against any character it assailed. It was the duty of
every upright man to refuse his belief to such reports,
unless they were supported by proof. The purest repu-
tation and the most unblemished character might become
their innocent victim, unless society rallied round the
accused, and determined to unmask their author.—
Convinced that the case would be found such an one as
he had represented it to the Jury, he left it in their
hands, fully satisfied that they would do his client justice.
The slanderous words having been proved, and the defendartl.s
offering no defence, Mr. Baron Huar.oct barfly summed up, whim
the Jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff—Damages, 2501.
Blots AT NANCRIJITER.
Niched Gatlin and Peter MiNoinerst were tried upon two separate
indictutents, charging them with having riotously and tumultuously
assembled,with other persons unknown, at Manchester, nu the 213th
of April last.
From the evidence it appeared, that on the day stated in the il-
dictment, there was a great riot in Manchester—that the defendants
assailed the constables with stones, and that the defendant 0.1v;•1
threw a stone et the head of Mr. Brialy, the Magistrate, while
reading the Riot Act. Verdict•—Oesitiy.
Mr. Justice Pass sentenced the prisoner G_v::, to us calendar