Star.
London, England, 1821-07-18 00:00:00

LORD PRESIDENT-MR: HUME.

• •

The following is that part of the LORD PRIORDENT
of the Court of Session's speech, in delivering judg-
ment in the case of " Mason v. the Magistrates of
Montrose," to which Mr. Hums alluded in terms of
such severe reprehension in the debate on Tuesday
night. We differ wholly in opinion from the Honour-
able Gentleman. We can see uotbing in the senti-
ments expressed by the Learned Judge respecting
the new set obtained by the Burgh of Montrose,
which is not in the highest degree constitutional and
independent:
" But," said his Lordship, " there is another difficulty which
must be got rid of in some shape, and this arises from what 1
conceive to be the utter illegality of the new set of this Burgh.
It is clear that the Crewe has made an illegal usurpation of the
privileges of the community. The Constitution of Burghs in
Scotland is different from what it is in England. In England,
in the case of an illegal proceeding, the Charter of the Burgh
falls, the Corporation is at an end, and it ceases to have a right
of property. In such a ease, a renewal of the Charter by the
Crown may be given at pleasure, and is solely es erotic!. But in
Scotland an illegal election does not void the Charter, or dissolve
the Corporation. In such a case, the Court appoints interim
Managers, till the set be restored. This was done ia the case of
Stirling, and the administration of these Interim Managers is still
remembered by many respectable inhabitants as being the golden
days of Stirling. The Crown may then grant a warrant for a
new election, in order to restore the Magistracy, and this may
he either by poll or by calling together the former Council ; but
the set must be renewed in the precise terms of the original set.
If such was not the case, what would be the consequence?—
Look at this set before us: it proceeds on a petition of the Guild
Brethren; but how did the Prince Regent in Council know
that this was really a petition of the Guild Brethren, or whether
it was ofs majority or minority of them? The present set, too,
has been meant to be more popular than the former one ; but by
the same rule, the King mightlave made it less popular: he has
the same power to do the one as the other. We, however, have
only specie? powers, and cannot remedy a general evil of this'.
tare. A reduction of the set would have been requisite ; but we
have no reduction before us. Any recommendation to the Lord
Advocate to bring a reduction of the set would be useless ; for
be would, of course, support the warrant which has been granted.
But I conceive that we should mark our sense of the thing, by
expressly stating, that, in refusing the petition, we do not recog-
nise the legality of the set ; and I would advise these Magistrates
that they should be cautious how they act, and how they grant
criminal warrants, or warrants ale sosditatiOnefugo, as their elec-
tion under the new set might net protect-Mena against liability
for damages."

Monday evening Mr. and Mrs. Courts gave a
grand entertainment, at their mansion-house, in Strat-
ton-street, Piccadilly, to their Royal Highnesses the
Dukes of Yoax and Sussex, and Prince LrOPOLD,
which, as usual, was upon the most extensive, splen-
did, and costly scale, and in which every taste and
ingenuity was exercised to amuse their Royal and
distinguished guests. Among the personages pre-
sent at the dinner-party to meet their Royal High-
nesses were—
The Duke of Wellington, the Marquis and Marchioness of
Bute, the Marchioness of Lansdown, the Earl and Countess of
Darnley, the Earl and Countess of Galloway, the Earl of Guild-
ford, the Earl of Lauderdale, Viscount and Viscountess Ossul-
sten, Lady Saye and Sele, Lord Erskine, Miss Burden, Alin S.
Burden, Miss Terisieton, Miss Gifford, Sir Benjamin Bloom-
field, Sir Edward Antrobus, Mr. Conics Trotter and Mr. Jekyll,
Colonel Addenbroke, Mr. Vaughan, &e.
—There was also a numerous evening party, when
the munificent host and hostess gratified their distin-
guished guests with a Concert of vocal and instru-
mental music. The company were additionally gra-
tified with a Ball, lot which the :oohs was fancifully
, chalked. Six of the first Italian Opera dancers dis-
played their unrivalled skill.
Goon Antics.—'ll4 &writs are not in very excellent odour;
but, as Shakipeare gays, there is geed in estryteing. Mind
what I say," says the Parson very prudently, " and not what I
do;" and the approaching proven to Leland has this merit.
,0 In each three yeares bee sure yourself. to see,
The chiefest panes of all your Kingdomes three,
To ricertyst do not altogether leant,
But heart yonrselfe sometimes deposes complain. !"
This is the advice of Cuestas to his son, Ham Femme, ist
the koo, positions, as turned into Latin and English verse' by
Wu. WILLTMOT under the title, " 4 Princes ;ageing Glasw,"
1603. We shall some of the other admonitions to chew, in
the persons of the SMUTS, bow easy It is to know what is
right, and to do that which is +gong.
" Tour howda( strung, choose of honest fame,
Whose life Is sound, and also !ad of blame;
Zia will the people thinks: that you retayne
Lilo persons to yearn& in manners valve."—(p. 41).
Your pram! emus& table much frequent,
Let lawyers pride thence away be sent."—(p. 60).
"'De suited like to smolt and your age—
Youtblihe fa you is, in graver yawn mote sage 1."—a).16).

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

*COURT OF CHANCERY, JULY 17.
cotes/too/tit t,. LEIGH.
The LORD CHANCELLOR went at some length into
the Petition, and expressed strong doubts as to
the meaning of the testator, relative to the annuity
of £1,200 per annum, given by the will executed on
the 29th of April, and the heritable bond given for
L'Boo, on the sth of February antecedent, for the
payment of which the Scotch estates were made
liable under certain restrictions. His Lordship, al-
luding to the claiM of the infants, said, though they
would be entitled to the capital of the property, on
attaining the age of 21 years, yet that property was
inalienable, and must go to the-next In remamder.—
It was also, he said, extremely difficult to make out
the testator's meaning relative to the personal estate
being liable for more than the £4OO over the £BOO,
charged on the Scotch 'estates, for if he bad died
without making any will, the petitioner would have
come against the Scotch property without reference
to the personal estate. Another difficulty was as to
the testator's meaning, in the event of the funds not
being sufficient, that £250 each for the daughters
shout il be taken out of the annuity of £1,200; and,
under all the circumstances, he wished the attention
of the Counsel engaged to be turned to the nature of
the heritable bond and the value of the property, as
he wished most particularly to make such an order
as would he for the benefit of all the parties.
After a conversation in which Mr.HoR N,Mr.H A nr,
Wir.Wtnorizt.n, and Mr.WETHERELL participated
The LORD CHANCELLOR directed inquiry to be
made as to the infeuffment of the Scotch estates, and
postponed giving judgment until that was done.
BUEOWVEOR or BURGH, V. HAMILTON AND UXOR.
The defendants were found guilty of assaulting
the above prosetutrix, and sentenced to pay a fine to
the King of 403.
MIDDLESEX SESSIONS, JULY 17.
Joseph Powell was indicted for assaulting Wells,
the tell-collector, at Bayswater turnpike.
Wells proved that, on the Ist of May, the defend-
ant drove a one-horse chaise through hi; gate with-
out paying the toll. Wells immediately seized the
horse by the head, and the defendant, without pay-
ing, struck him severely several times with the whip.
He afterwards paid the toll, and drove off. The de-
fendant produced (as a witness for him) a female who
was with him in the chaise at the time the assault
was committed, and who corroborated everything
that Wells had stated. The Jury, without hesitation,
found a verdict of Guilty. The judgment of the
Court was, that he should pay a fine of £5; and, as
he had been so foolish as to threaten the prosecuto:
with further violence, because he had very properly
appealed to the laws of his country for redress, the
Court also required that he should give security in
the sum of £5O, to keep the peace for one year.

Mr. MAcKENZIE a Thousand Experiments in Che-
mistry, so long announced, have, at length, made
their appearance. It has been the labour of several
years ; and it condenses into a single volume, at a
inoierate price, all that is useful in the costly Che-
mical Works of the age. To Artists, Manufacturers,
and Experimental Philosophers, it will serve as a
treasury of practical knowledge.
MELANCHOLY ACCIDENT FROM FIRE-ARMS —An
Inquisition was taken on Monday evening, which sat
until one o'clock yesterday morning, at the Swan
Tavern, Bayswater, on the body of Mr. Thomas
Barnwell, nineteen years of age, the only son of Tho-
mas Barnwell, Esq. of Walham-green, who was ac-
cidentally shot by a son of Mr. N% inkworth, of Con-
naught-terrace, a young Gentleman about his own
age. On Sunday last, both these young Gentlemen,
with others, were invited to dinner at a Gentleman's
house in Bayswater, and previous to dinner, they
were amusing themselves at play in the garden. Mr.
Coward, the Gentleman with whom they were to
dine, went to dress before dinner; the deceased think-
ing he was tpo long, went, accompanied by Mr.
Winkworth, to his dressing-mom to call him. On
their entrance, Mr. Coward was in the act of pulling
en his boots; his fowling-piece stood in one corner
of the room, and Mr. Winkworth, not knowing it
was loaded, unobserved by Mr. Coward, took it up,
and the contents went off and lodged under the right
shoulder of the deceased.- Messengers were imme-
diately dispatched in every direction for the most
eminent surgeons. Mr. Heaviside, Mr. Gunning, and
another surgeon arrived, and did all that art could
do to save his life, but to no purpose ; he died in
three hours and a half after the fatal accident.—The
Jury, which was composed of the most respectable
inhabitants, after hearing all the evidence at great
lenifth, returned a Verdict of Accidental Death.
koncro NOTEL—Matiketu Carr, a pedlar, was yes-
terday charged at Guildhall, with being a common
utterer of forged notes. T. Hedges, of Chiswell-street,
stated, that about the middle of May, the prisoner
ordered, at his shop, two coats and a pair of trow-
sers, to be ready by the following Saturday. Previous,
however, to the Saturday, he (Mr. Hedges) received
a note, as from the prisoner, desiring the clothes,
when finished, to be. sent to No. 1, Hosier-lane,
Smithfield, with the bill and receipt. The name
signed to this note was William Boyne. The shop-
man was accordingly sent with the clothes, and
found the prisoner at the house, who paid him for the
goods with seven £1 notes. These notes, on the shop-
mates return, were immediately discovered' to be
forgeries ; and he (Mr. Hedges) went to Hosier-lane
directly, but the prisoner had decamped. The se-
cond charge was preferred by Mr: Thomas, of Vine-
street, Hatton-wall, stove-grate maker, from whom
thesaisouer purchased, on the 4th of June, an elliptic
stove, for ]2s. and requested the porter to accom-
pany him to his house in White-horse-alley, Cow-
'cross, with change for aAI note. The porter ac-
cordingly went; and on their arrival in Gun-court,
White-horse-alley, the prisoner desired him to-set the
mitt down at a door, grave him a £1 note, and re-
ceived the change. This note was also discovered to
be forged; and, on inquiry, the prisoner was not
known at the house or in the neighbourhood.—The
third charge was adduced by, Mr. Pemberton, a
tew,erien
produced,
,foarn
and
legprisoonef
mr
uuttttoenTha Eel
nfionreg
butcher, in Aldersgate-street, to whose servant the'
iediotenso
declared by Mr. Lees, the Bank Inspector, to be
forgeries; and. the prisoner was remanded to give
time for the production of evidence on ten or twelve
other charges.