Star.
London, England, 1820-03-30 00:00:00

IiOXERS.

So confident ware all the best judges of fighting of Ceopee
beating Hickman, that they would not,take any o,lds, and even
bets were laid, that Cabbage and Cooper both won, and 6 and 7
to 1 Hist those who did win, would not. Many consider th:t
Illckmail can beat any man in England—no matter about size
or weight. His intrepidity excited the greatest ; stonishment,
and altbowils.Cooper made sucb tine Huai left•han.led hits in
front of the head in meeting the4gght-handed rust. when
Hickman was not knocked down, he would he in and wear his
antagonist out. Beating Cooper has placed Hickman about first
upon the list.
Foox-Raes.-4eloriday, a respectable tradesman of Leeds,
undertook, for a co Inderable wager, to go on foot from that
'town to Otley at d b .ck again (a distance of 19 miles), in three
hours. This promising pedestrian completed his task, in a .
masterly st)k, three minutes and a half within the given time.

INGENnous DEPSNCE.—On the (21st inst. the Court
of Assize, Paris, came to a decision on the case of two
individuals, who tend expressed their oFinions in words,
instead of delivei ing the same in writing, by which
they might have been able to prove their innoceace.
—The fist of these wns a person named• time, a
journeyman cartwright. He had been drinking on
the 14th of February at a public-house, where sere.
ra), .who happened to be present at the time, were
lamenting the melancholy fate of die Dtike de Berri.
This person not only expressed his approbation of
that crime, hut he even inveighed against .the King
himself!—Cieux made use of a singular kind of de-
fencer He called witnesses to shew that he had-been
speaking at a man named Le Roy, and not of Louis
the lii.2liteenth " This," said he, " makes a gnu
difference; for what I said against Le Roy I am ready
to repeat ; he was a wretch who did me much in.
jury, and whe was condemned for robbery." This
equivocal mode of justification did not answer his
purpose. Cieux was unanimously found Guilty on
he first charge, that of a public outrage against good
manners, and sentenced to one year's nnpnsonnynr.

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-L4lll-- LNI;i•E:LLIGL.vez.

COUIT OF CHA:.:CEiIY, 'MARCH 24.
HIGH LIFE.

It; il^ n!otte- of sm. ROGER GRESLEY, Baronet, a
Minor and a if":trd of Chancerii, and the lion. LADY
SONI: A COVENTRY, also a ML:or. .

A Petition was preseute.l to the LORD CUANGEL-
LOR some time back by Lady Gresley, the mother
of the ward of Court, prnying that the Earl of Co-
ventry, the Countess of Coven;ry.ani the Hon. John
Coventry, their son, tnight be restrained by injunc-
tion, front aidin,?; and assisting, or encouraging a
nvirriage between the 'var.:, who it; 20 years of age,
and Lady Sophia Coven:ry, the youngeA daughter
of dte E.trl, who is only 17 years of age. His Lord-
s:4 heard the Caunsel for the Petitioner in his pri-
-I.vat't room at Westminster

WETnErtELL this day said, he had to shcw
case why the prayer of the Petition should nut be
stante.d. Ile, had advised his Noble clients, who
consisted of all the parties of the Coventry family set
Inth in the Petition, to lay every circumstance of
f:eir conduct, add of the transaction, even to every
letter that was written on the subject, before his
Lordship ; they had done so, and what did they
amount to? It appeared that Sir Roger Gresley, the
ward, was the repreentative of an ancient family,
and on becoming of age, would be in the possession
of a large es:ate. In Apiil last year, he left the Uni-
versity of Oxford, having finished his studies, and
rent to Worcester, where the ftnily of the Earl of
Coventry were at the time. On being introduced to.
the family ler the first time, he was invited to'dine,
but there was not a general invitation given him to
the house oldie Noble Earl, as charged in the Peti-
tion of Lady Gresiey. After the return of the Noble
family to their house in Piccadilly, the ward- visited
them, and was invited to dine, and received, in the
same way as any other person of the same rank
would have been. The Noble Earl's family in the
autumn went to Cheltenham, and they supposed bay
One of those accidents by which people in a similar
station of liie meet, they met the ward, and the Hon.
John Coventry brought him home to dinner with
Shoitly afterwards the ward wrote a letter to
Noble Earl, asking his permission to pay his ad-
dresses to Lady Sof.hia, which he answered as a fa-
ther ought, that if his fortune was of that extent so
as to make a cettiemeat en his daughter suMcient for
her rank in lire, and his, the ward's friends, approved
cf the marriage, he would have no objection. The
ward, in answer to this letter, sent the Noble Earl
his rent-roll, and referred him to his Solicitors for
the uuth of it. Ile did apply to the Solicitors, and
t ley confirmed the statement of the rent-roll, and in-
formed him that Earl Beauchamp was the guardian
of the ward, on which he wrote to that Noble Earl,
and informed him of the circumstances, and received
for answer that he could have no objection to the
marriage, but teat the ward could not make a settle-
ment on Lady Sophia, until he obtained his full age
of '2l. The Earl of Coventry immediately informed
the ward of the answer he had received from his
guardian, and at the same time represented to him
that he could not consent to any marriage bezween
him and Lady Sophia until he became of age. It
appeared that afterwards thet e was a correspondence
between Lady Gresley and the Countess of Coventry,
in which the latter assured her Ladyship that no part
of her family would consent to a marriage with her
son, the ward, bet-we he became of age. He would
ask his Lordship, now lie was in possession of the
facts, what were in them that was derogatory to the
chaoacter of the Noble House of Coventry? He was
at a loss to know what order his Lordship could
make in such a ease as this without it was to dismiss
the Petition with costs.
Mr. SHADIVC.LL followed on the same side.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL, Counsel for earl Beau-
champ, the guardian of the ward, said he was in-
structed by- his Noble client to say, that he did not
see anything improper in the intended marriage of
the ward and Lady Sophia when he had obtained
the age of 21, and that he believed it never was the
intention of the Earl cf Coventry, or any part of his
family, that tke marriage should take place before
he obtained that age.
Mr. HA RT, Counsel for Lady Gresley, stated that
it never was charged by his client that the Noble fa-
mily of Coventry had entered into a conspiracy for
the purpose of getting the ward to marry Lady So-,
phia, it was only leged they had riven such an ac-
quiescence as would promos it. 'Under these con-
siderations he trusted his Lordship would grant the
prayer of the Petition.
The Loan CII.ANCa.LOR observed, that he would
gi‘e his judgment on coming into Court on Mon-
day rmrr.ing.

MONDAY, MARCH 27.

THE EARL OF COVENTRY V. SIR ROGER GRESLEY.

The Co-,:rt was crowded this morning in the expec-
tation_that the LORD CHANC::!-LOR would give judg-
ment in this case. Soars alter the Lora) CHANCELLOR
had taken his seat,

Mr.Nl-x-inEnELL called his Lordship's atontiiin to
tl:is case. lie st::-.od, that Lord Coventry and the
llonourable John Coventry visited to make fresh
-,•-•;da‘iits, and to state that they riad never led Sir
Roger Uresley into any inegularities.
LORD CHANCELLOR had no objection that
such affidavits should be put in, if the par:ies thought
fit. He would give no directions concerning them ;
but he thought they would not alter the opinion he
cot ertai ned.

Mr. HART observed, that he had no objection that
t,ich atFidavits should be put in.
'lne LORD CHA NCEL LOR then proceeded to give
-jadgment, and commenced by stating, that he had
caretidly looked over all the papers and documents
connected with this case : he had also consulted all
the authorities so far as re petted the jurisdiction of
this Court, and its power of interference under similar
circumstances to the present. Ile entertained no doubt
t:;,lt this Court had sufficient jurisdiction, and what-
ever pain he might cause to tile pat tiLs concerned, it
would be still more painful to himself not to perform
his duty. He eructed rather it:to a minute detail of'
the facts of the case, as they have been previously
e,isclsotl, remarking upon the app:ication of Lady
Gresky, which appeared to him so extraordinary in
its nature, requesting .that her son , might be sent
back to -Oxford, rf,twithstanding an eminent profes-
sional man had given it as his opinion that it would
impair Lis hcaltn if he resided at Oxford for any

great length of time. He very much regretted that
Lady Greeley had not thought proper to call fox the
interference of this Court at an earlier period. Ap-
plication had not been made until all the mischief
had been done, and when the powers of the Court
were rendered. almost useless. Sir Roger had be- •
come attached to the young Lady; and had been .
allowed to carry that attachment farther, than under "
the circumstances, he should have been suffered. He .1
was a ward in Ch.,Mcery, and the peculiar circum-
stances of his case should have been recollected. It
appeared but too plainly, that after Sir Roger had
quitted Oxford, he had been allowed to wander
' where he pleased. He would not iMpute:any wilful I
neglect to Lord Coventry or to any of his family, but
he wished it to be clearly understood, that it was no
excuse for any person to say, that he did not know
that Sir Roger was a Ward in-Chancery. Nor did
he think it proper (he could not help speaking his
mind upon the subject, however pair.ful it might be)
that Lord Coventry should have sent Sir Roger to
his Solicitor, to shew his title-deeds.' The Solicitor,
upon inspection of those instruments, ought to have
advised the young man not to have proceeded any
farther in the affair without the consent of the (.781firt.
With respect to Lord Ileauchmp, he did not think
that any blame attached to him. His Lordship had
only recently been appointed guardian, and had been
abroad 'dm-lag the greater part of the time. As to
the affidavit of Sir Roger Gtesley himself, he should
say nothing respecting it, excepting . this—that he
ought to be thankful to him for not permitting it to
stand on the records of the Court. Under all the
circumstances of the case, therefore, he had thought
it expedient to make an order, restraining Sir Roger
from leaving the country without leave of the Court,
and also to restrain him from visiting at the house
of Lord Coventry, without leave of the Court, until
he had attained the age of • twenty-one years. To-
morrow morning he would probably dispose of the
remainder of the case.

TUESDAY, MARCH ss.
Mr. WETHERELL, at the sitting of the Court,
stated, that he was desired by Sir Roger Gresley
(who was in attendance) to say, that he was ready to
answer any question that his Lordship might .wish
to put to him, relative to the letter he had written to
his mother (Lady Gresley), or to any other subject
in this case.

The Lotto CHANCELLOR observed, he saw no ne-
cessity for such a proceeding.
Mr. HART stated, that he had, on the part of Lady
Gresley, turned his attention to forming such an
order in this case, that, in his opinion, the Court
ought to make. He had not been able to find a pre-
cedent exactly in point, although he knew there was
one. The one lie alluded to was the case of a brick-
layer's daughter, at the town of Tunbridge, where
his Lordship committed the father for allowing an
intercourse between her and a ward who was heir to
a large fortune. He therefore had to request that his
Lordship would allow the case to stand over.
The LORD CHANCELLOR-.—" lie it so."
WEDNESDAY, MARCH t4l.
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No mention was made of the case, " Gresley r.
Coventry."

MARRIAGE OP A LUNATIC.
IN THE MATTER OF BAILLIE BIRD, A LUNATIC.

Mr. WETHERELL stated, that this was a Petition
to confirm the Master's Report in this cause. The
facts of the case seemed to be as follow:—The father
of the lunatic died in 1815, having in the previous
year made his will, in which he entrusts to his wife,
so long as she remained a widow, the receipt of his
property, amounting to £5OO a-year. Of this in-
come, she was to appropriate the half to her own
support, and with the remainder she was to support
the lunatic, her son ; but if either the son or the wi-
dow married, then the widow's income was to be re-
duced to £2OO a-year, and she was no longer to have
the management of the estate. In the event of the
death of the mother, and of the lunatic without legal
issue, the property was devised to Mrs. Ellis, a rela-
tive of the testator; and this Lady, it appeared, had
a niece, whom she was desirous to-have married to
the lunatic. To this marriage the mother of the lu-
natic was also much inclined, but the lunatic himself
preferred another object—a young woman, to whom
he was much attached, and to Whom he was married,
in a village church near Norwrch, in 1815. Shortly
after the marriage, Mrs. Ellis and the mother took
out a commission of lunacy, and Mr. Bird, who was
then about thirty-five years old, was committed to
the care of proper persons. The next step of the
mother was to institute proceedings for the dissolu-
tion of this marriage, upon the ground of the lunacy
of her son; and she now applied to the Court, that
she might be furnished with the expenses to enable
her to carry on the suit, out of the lunatic's estate.—
The question here was, whether the lunatic, under
the circumstances, was capable of contracting a mar-
riage? and if not, whether the Court would order
the expenses of the Ecclesiastical suit to be paid out
of an estate at the utmost not exceeding £5OO a-year?
Mr.' WETHERELL and Mr. GARROD contended,
that the lunatic was not incapable of contracting a
marriage at the time this marriage was contracted.
His disease was never of a violent nature—being
rather an imbecility of mind, than a derangement of
ideas. Ile had sense enough to understand the duties
imposed upon him by his marriage; he loved his
wife in the tenderest manner, and for the child, the
result of their union, he always expressed the strongest
attachment. To separate him from a woman whom
he thus so dearly prized, might have the most detri-
mental effect upon his health, and a still more disas-
trous consequence of- such a separation would be to
bastardize this child, whom the parties were taught
to look upon as their legitimate offspring. The par-
ties opposed to the lunatic had a lively interest in the
annulment of the marriage—the mother would then
add to her own income, would be in the receipt of
the whole £5OO a-year, and might easily suppOrt the
lunatic for less than the sum assigned for that pur-
pose. Some of these parties were also a little jealous,
perhaps, that Mr. Bird did- not prefer the person;
whom they wished to make his wife.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL and Mr. CCLLI JSON, on
the other side, contended, that the lunatic was not
capable of contracting a marriage, and they referred
to the examination of the Commission, to skew the.
state of his mind. When he was asked his age, he
answered, I am fifteen. Are you a single or a mar-
, tied man ? I am a single man. And this examina-
Lion was taken after the marriage. How then was it
possible that such a per son could have any conaciou.-

ness of the obligations of marriage, who should mate'
such replies as these?
The LORD CHANCELLOR thought it very singular, '
that, if this Gentleman was really so imbecile •in bis
intellects as it was represented, his father should, in
his will, have provided, as he did provide, for his fu-
ture
marriage. It was also to Le observed, that the
Commission of Lunacy was not taken out until after
the marriage. Why was it never asked for before ?
Did not such a proceeding look like the result of I
disappointment in some quarter ? Nor could he for- I
get, that in this case the mother of the lunatic was 1
an interested party, in a pecuniary view, in the- dis-
solution
of this marriage. However, the first thing
the Court had to do was to inquire whether any such
marriage was had ? and his Lordship asked. whether
his mother was ready to take upon herself the ex-
penses of that inquiry ?
To this vestion no answer was returned, and his
Lord3hip desired it to stand over to the last day of
Lunatic Fetitions, in order to ascertain that point.