Star.
London, England, 1820-01-27 00:00:00

THE KING 'V. WEDDERBURNE.

On the motion of Mr. LITTLEDALE, this defend-
ant was brought up to plead to an indictment,
charging him with uttering cell ain blasphemous ex-
pressions at a chapel in Berwick-street, Soho, wherein
he was a preacher, tending to impugn the Christian
Religion. The indictment contained seven counts.

The defendant being called upon for his plea said,
he was a foreigner, and admitting that some of the
words imputed to him, had been uttered by him, de-
sired to know, whether, if he could prove on his
trial that the Bible contained lies, he should be ex-
empted from criminal liability?
The COURT said they could answer no such ques-
tion. He was only now called upon to plead.
The defendant said, that in pursuance of the ad.
•ice he had received, he should plead Not Guilty,
which he did accordingly, and received notice that

I.

he would be tried at the Sittings atm his pre
sent Term.

- CONSISTORY COURT, JANUARY
CORFIELD V. CORNELD.
This was a suit for restitution of conjugal rights,
by the wife of a respectable Solicitor, carrying ol
Ibusiness at the East end, and residing at the West end
of the town. The wife, it appeared, shortly after
their voluntary separation, was delivered of g rna'e
child, of which the husband disputed the legitirnacN,
having previously put in a negative plea ger-2ral'y,
as to the fact of the marriage. It was now alleged on
'the part of the husband, that this plea had been
put in merely for delay, in order to give time for
negotiating compromise; but that now he admi:ted
the marriage.
Dr. LUSOINGTON observed, the mode of defence
resorted to in this case was quite unjustifiable, as it
went to deprive the wife of alimony, she having re-
ceived only £lOO since the suit commenced ; and
the Bishop of Carlisle, who performed the ceremony,
being about to be examined, the object was to pre-
vent and shut out this evidence.

The Court gave leave to examine the Bishop.

INSOLVENT DEBTORS' COURT, JANUARY 26.
Captain Birmingham was opposed by Mrs. Tilsoo,
on the ground that he had promised to assign over
to her his half-pay, when she Faye him credit for a
quantity of millinery for his wife, and other articles
for his own out-fit to Jamaica.

It appeared that this Gentleman, who had origi-
nally been in the British service, had gone out to
Jamaica to join M'Gregor's expedition, with which
he proceeded to Porto Bello, where, in the general
disaster that ensued, he lost all his effects.

The proof of his having obtained credit by undue
means, was held insufficient by the Court, and he
was discharged.

The Earl of ROCKSAVAGE left Cholmondeley-
house yesterday, for Bath.
The Earl and Countess of WALDIORAVE are re-
turned to the Pulteney-hotel, Piccadilly, from thti
seat at Twickenham.

Lady ST. JOHN is arrived at her house in Glou-
cester-place, from Melchbourn Park, Bedfordshire.
Sir Wm. ASHY, Bart. is arrived at his house in
Hill-street, Berkeley-square, from a tour.
BONAPARTE.—October 28, off St. Helena, the Tar.
tar was brought to by a frigate and a brig in com-
pany, and informed that NAPOLEON was in good
health.—Boston Reporter, December 20.
COVENT-GARDEN THEATRE.--The new Musical
Drama of the Antiquary was repeated last night,
with, if possible, increased success ; and promises to
become a lasting favourite. The scenery and ma-
chinery are unquestionably superior to any thing of
the kind that has for a long time been witnessed.
DRURY-LANE THEATRE.—Last- night Mr. KEAN
again made his appearance as Coriolnnus, and sus-
tained the arduous character with increased energy
and effect.
FIRE.--This morning, soon after five, a fire broke
out in the dwelling-house of Mr. Fowfaca, well known
by the name of China Hall, on the Lower Deptforc
Road, which in a short time communicated to his
extensive Silk Mills, the whole of which, with a large
quantity of silk, were totally consumed. Ha2pily,
no lives were lost.

It appears by the returns of the Coroner of Man-
chester, that thirty-nine children have lost their live-
within the last three months, in that town and neigh-
bourhood, by being burnt, chiefly during the neces-
sary absence of their parents, at work. Five women
have also shared the same melancholy fate.
On Saturday last, Robert Braddle, of Bury, wa
convicted before TIIONIAS CLAY, Esq. Aldernun,
the penalty of £205, for buying 26 pheasants, 13
partridges, and two hare-.
A new and commodious Gaol and House of Cor-
rection has just been finished at Saffron Walden, and
the old Markettross and Gaol have been removed.
Four thousand eight hundred and eighty-five
quartern loaves, and twelve-hundred and thirty-nine
bushels of coals, were distributed, on Saturday last,
to the Poor of Canterbury, as the second distribution
of the fund raised in that city for their relief.
Two caverns were discovered, last week, at Graves-
end, by the sinking of the earth. ,These excavations
are most probably ancient chalk-pits, of Roman ori-
gin. On the south side of one ef them are the re-
mains of a flint arch, about two feet wide, leading
into the other.

The mail-coach from London to Manchester was
impeded s• much on Thursday last, between Ash-
burne and Macclesfield, by the snow, that the guard,
with the bags on horseback, was obliged to cross
hedges, and make his way as he c•uld.
Since Tuesday last, the towns of Bradford and
Trowbridge have been so completely flooded by the
thaw, that in some parts the inhabitants are obliged
to be removed to and from their houses in carts.

EXTRAORDINARY Grrosx.!—On the evening of the
2d instant, as the person who has the care of the
clock in St. Patrick's Church, Dublin, was proceed-
ing to wind it up, he was informed by the sexton's
wife, that there was a most frightful ghost in the
church, and she cautioned him to take care of himself.
Thinking there was some trick laid for: him, he took
the precaution to lock the door on going i.r, to pre-
vent any person from following him. Having wound
up the clock, he was returning through the aisle,
when the noise of footsteps suddenly struck his ear;
on turning round to learn the cause, what must
have been his astonishment, on seeing a female
figure, with haggard countenance, staring eyes, and
long black dishevelled hair, following close behind
him, and muttering something incoherently as she
advanced. Struck with terror at the sight of this
extraordinary appearance, he stood motionless for
some time, and then recoiled some paces towards
the door; the spectre followed, and struck him on
the face with a string of beads, which she held in
her hands, and, in a shrill tone, exclaimed, Will
'no person release me from those fiery dragons that
are continually tot menting me!'' He now, assuming
courage, rushed forward en the ghost, and seizing
her by the arm, soon di:covered that she difflered
very much from those apratiCons commonly seen,
by being neither able to elncie the grasp of ker an-
tagonist, nor vanish from his sight. The screams
which now ensued brought the sexton to the spot,
when it was discovered that this frightful spectre
was nothing more than a poor maniac who had been
shut up in the church after Divine Service, unknown
to the sexton.