Star.
London, England, 1819-11-02 00:00:00

SEIWEANTS' INN lIALL,OCTOBEIt 30.

COMYN V. HILL.
This was an action of covenant upon indentures of
apprenticeship, in the usual form, executed between
die plaintiff and the defendant ; whereby the latter
covenanted, amongst other things, for the service ofl
his son•with the former for the full term of seven
years.'• l'ne defendant's son had absented himself,
and'continued absent from the plaintiff's service be- •
fore the term Of his apprenticeship had expired. To
the declaration there were threecleas. The first two
were immaterial to the present question; and the
th,ird stated, that the defendant's son had stayed with
the plaintiff until he had attained the age of twenty-
ol:e, and that then, the indentures having become
void, he quitted his master's service. To this plea
thorc was a general demurrer and joinder in demurrer.
:VI:. ABRAHAM 'Was heard in support of the de-
rra.rrer, rind maintained, that an apprentice, nut
bound under the authority of an Act of Parliament,
may avoid his indentures on coming of age ; but the
question here vas, whether the father, having cove-
nanted for the service of his son, as an apprentice, is
liable in an action fur the breach of the covenant by
the km? _ _ .

Sir CHARLES ASBOST (Chief Justice.)—" I am of
opinion that the action is maintainable against the
father."
_ _ _

Mr. Justice BEST.—" Who would take an appren•
tice if the indentures might be avoided when the ap-
prentice came of age, unless the father or guardian
becomes responsible ? There is no doubt that the
action will lie."—Judgment for the plaintiff.

: OLD BAILEY SESSIONS.
Yesterday, Benjmin Johnson, William Jackson,
Jehn WeLb., and Mary Aim Cm, A were indicted for
feloniously4uttering Forged Bank Notes?with intent
to defraud tlJe Governor and Company of the Bank.
of England, they It...owing the said Notcs to be
forged. The prisoners pleaded Guilty to the minor
offence of haring forged Notes in their possession,
si-hich subjects them to trar.sportation, fcr the term
of fourteen years.

Jae. cs Sti;b6s was indicted.for feloniously uttering
two Forged one-petind Notes, one in August and one;
iipSoptember.
Edward Smith deposed, that he keeps a public-
}muse, called the Spread Eagle, in Charlotte-street,
&Eddie:xi; Hospital. About the laueoend of August
the prison:: came to his house with a bottle, and
a;..keil for half a pint of rum. The prisoner "received
t!:e rum, and tendered a £1 Note in payment there-
of, and asked for change. The Witness gave him
ISs. 6d. in silver, and 4d. iu copper. The witness
then allied the prisoner for his address, and lie gave
the name of Jones, No. 12, Pitt-street. The witness
wro:e that address upon the Note, in the presence of
the prisoner. Immediately after the prisoner re-
ceived his change, lie went away, taking with him
the silver, and leaving the halfpence behind. The
v itness paid away the Note, which was soon after
returned by the Bank as forged. It was returned
from the Bank before the SOth of September. About
seven in the evening, of the SOth of September, the
prisoner came again to the witness's house, and asked
for half a pint of rum ; he had a bottle with him
then. The prisoner said he could nut pay for the
rum unless he change for a Note. The witness
said, that he could not give the prisoner change ;
but, upon looking at him, he recognized him to be
the person who had given him the forged Note in
August. He then told the prisoner that he could
give him change, and asked him for his address.—
The prisoner said his name was Jones, and that he
lived at No. 4, Charlotte-court. The witness gave'
the jnlsoner a pen, and be. wrote the same address
upon the Note. When the prisoner returned the Note:
to the witness, be (the witness) said it was a fined
one, and sent his brother-in-law, Robert Palmer, to
see whether the prisoner lived in Charlotte-court.—
iPalmer returned, and said, that no person of the
name of Jones lived at the house the prisoner had
mentioned. The witness, assisted by Palmer, then
attempted to take the prisoner to the watch-house.
When they liTid proceeded a few paces,.the prisoner
broke from them and ran away, but be was stopped
by the watchman.
Cross-examined by Mr. Aft/a:lN.—The Note which
the witness received froth the prisoner he gave to his
wife, and did not know how she disposed of it. Peo-
ple sometimes go away without their change. He
did not, on the 50th of September, ask the prisoner
write on the Note the name of the person from
whom he received it. The prisoner wrote no other
name but that of Jones. Charlotte-court is near the
house of the witness. He could go there in a few
r. mutes to discover whether the prisoner had given
a true refeierice.
Thomas Bank said, that he lived at N0..1(2, in
illtt-streeit Middlesex Hospital. He never knew the
prisoner. He never lodged in his house.
William Smith stated, that he occupied the house,
No. 4, Ckailotte-court, for the last seven years ; dur-
ing that time the prisoner never lodged there.
The plisonet, inhis defence, admitted that he was
at the house of Smith, on the 30th of September, and
that he offered a I.3•Note in payment for some rum ;
bat he denied that-he knew it was forged. He was a
tailor: and 'he received the Note from a man who
told liim that his' name was Jones, and that he lived
-at N 0.4; Chatlbtte•eoott. lle said that Smith asked
iota fot the name of the person from whom he re-