Star.
London, England, 1818-07-30 00:00:00

KENT ASSIZES.

MAIDSTONE, JULY 98.

At ten o'clock this morning Mr. Justice ABBOTT
commenced the business of the Assizes at the Civil
Side, and Mr. Serjeant LENS (for Lord ELLENBO-
nouGH) at the Criminal Side. After the Grand Jury
were sworn in, the Learned Serjeant addressed them
as follnws:
" GLNILLMLN Or VII GRAYD JUILV—Ir feel great pleasure in
stating to you, that in the cases which are about to be submit-
ted to you (with some few exceptions), I see none which are,
generally speaking, of a very heinous and alarming nature. I
am aware that it is quite unnecessary for me, when addressing
C;eetletne.n of your character and experience in the County, to
refer your attention in any particular manner to the nature and
character of the duties you are now called upon to perform.
Duties, the importance of which, I doubt not, is already suffi-
ciently impressed upon your minds. But I cannot let this op-
portunity pass, without directing your particular attention to
one or two cases which will be laid before you; one of them of
that class of offences known in the law as killing and slaying;
and the other of that class of crime which human nature ab-
hors, and which civilized society justly regards as in the highest
degree penal, and as one calling for the moat summary and most
severe public example of the offender—need I say I allude to
the crime of murder. In the investigation of these eases in the
manner in which you are bound to view them, you must take
care that in your return of the several bills you keep both crimes
distinct—neither reducing'the one nor aggravating the other
upon doubtful or incomplete evidence, so far as your judgment
enables yon to decide ; always taking care that it is better so to
pronounce in the first instance upon the character of the offence,
as to render it unnecessary at a subsequent time that the case
should undergo two investigations. It is a very unfortunate cir-
cumstance that I am not furnished with the whole of the depo-
si:ions. lam therefore unable to say any thing more to you on
the particular cases to which I allude, except what occurs to
me front the mere general description of the offences on the face
of the record. But I now leave you to perform your duty,
n•i:h the well-7,nmnded confidence that you will discharge the
iviportant trust consiznesi to you with fidelity, impartiality, and
correctne.st."

The Grand .Tory then withdrew, and shortly re-
turned with several bills found, against persons char-
ged with capital offences. The trials then proceeded.
Philip Smith and William King pleaded guilty to
the lesser offence, of having forged Bank of England
notes in their possession. There was an indictment
against them for the higher offence, but the Counsel
for the Bank withdrew it in consequence of their plea
of r,ssuilty to the lesser.
John Evans was convicted of having three forged
Bank of England notes in his possession. He was
sentenced to fourteen years' transportation.

CIVIL SIDE.—TOI'LEY V. SKILLET.
This was air action against the defendant for as-
saulting the plaintiff. Mr. Gunsry and Mr. AWL-
Pnrs conducted the plaintiff's case, and Mr. MA /I-
!WATT and Mr. CIIITTV the defendant's.

' The prominent circumstances of the case were
these :—The plaintiff is a disciple of Hippocrates,
residing in the neighbourhood of Roche-ter, and the
defendant is cletk to the surgeon of the hospital ship
at Chatham. It seemed that there had been a long
standing disposition to hostility between the parties,
supposed to have generated from the infidelity of a
mutual favourite of the other sex, but no disposition
to open rupture was manifested, until an unfortunate
though casual meeting, at the late Gillingham Fair,
when, under the influence of wine, the tempers of
both obtained a fever heat in consequence of some
severe observation on the part of the defendant,
calling in question the veracity of the plaintiff. This
produced, on the part of the latter, a negation in
fifth degree, in terms so unequivocal as to leave no
doubt that a studied insult was intended. Mr. Skil-
let boiled over with rage, and w:tliout any further
ceremony gave the plaintiff a practical illustration of
the science of phlebotomy, by planting a dexterous
blow upon the nose of his adversary, which instantly
produced a copious hemorrhage. After this, several
gratuitous applications of the defendant's pugilistic
skill were administered with such surprising effect,
that bad not the plaintiff's pericranium been proof
even against the influence of the pestle and mortar,
his head must have been reduced to a mummy. In
simple truth, he got, in the language of thefinicy,
a complete milling. The natur.d consequence of this
outrageous conduct was to resort to the cantharides
of the law, and treat the defendant with a warm
plaster, in the shape of a declaration in assault.
The case went to the Jury, under the direction of
the Learned Judge, and they found a verdict for the
plaintiff—Damages £5. •

Mr. \YUMAN (Solicitor in the case) stated they
would be ready to go on by two o'clock.
The LORD CHANCELLOR—Then I cannot but say
that I am determined the motion shall not be heard
now. No Court is so much complained of as this is, A gentleman's house in Baggot-street, Dublin, was
but how can the matter be otherwise, if, day after robbed last week of several articles of wearing appa.
day, lamto be troubled in this manner? If you ea- rel. In a day or two after the following letter was
pect me to be obliged to go on in this way, you must delivered at the house, by the penny-post:
certainly be deceived. Business has been so long re- “ str—l am a man who lives by robbing—you left your door
tarded here, that nothing but a regular attention to open on Sunday lan, when you thought you bad shut it, for
it will secure its progress. To call on me to hear sns,ticitigi
ii•ouv.l.anoatt ,our
them,
coattulogbrsacecdibes.,
anrcdhe•taht;ith article,
sun. I
a motion or a cause when only one of the parties
could lure taken Law Books, but ant rogue enough without
are present, is, in fact, to call on me to hear the th,,,,. Your's, truly, PAT. WAIVII-111E-DOURS.
same motion five or six times, for when Counsel are A murder of the most premeditated description was
only partly present how can I decide it ? and may 1 perpetrated on the 26th June, in the neighbourhood
not be called day after day to hear the same thing of Cootehill, county of Cavan :—Mr. T. MAYNE,
over and over again? If one bra:::11 of this Court, of Lisnalong, a Gentleman of much respectability,
established under a recent Act of Parliament, in- went, accompanied by Mr. FrzzrAraice, of Coote-
stead of consulting the Chancellor, as that Act di- hill, a Coroner of the County, and Mr. &mots, to
rects, chuses to introduce a course of practice with- receive, under an order of law, possession of theliouse
out any consultation with me (though the Act directs And ground of one Simpson, of Drumshiel, near
it) which prevents me from tieing on, I had as well Cootehill, which was quietly given. When on the
not leave my house or corm here at all. You need eve of returning, and after Messrs. FITZPATRICK and
not, therefore, press me more on this point, for I now SLOANE held got on horseback, Simpson addressed
most decidedly say, once for all, and I may add for Mr. Maysx, ," Tom Mayne, I want to speak with
the last time, that I will not hear a single motion or thee," immed4tely ran into his house, brought out a
a single cause out of its usual course, unless some loaded blunderbuss, and said, " Tom, thou host
strong, and very strong grounds, I must say, be sbewn brought the Coroner here, and 'tis fit lit: should have
for my doing so. Let me say more, that lam not i a job," presented his blunderbuss at Mr. MAYNE, who
to be thought capable of being trifled with, aid to be I had just got on his horse, and was stooping forward,
less desirous and anxious for dispatch of businesa: fixing his foot in the stirrup, and lodged its contents
than the other branch of the Court is. I must shew I: in the head of that unfortunate Gentleman and of
am not so. I shall act, as I know my duty to be, re- his hone, both of whom fell. Mr. MAYNE lingered
gardless of all censures cast on me. till Wednesday, the Ist instant, when he expired.—
Mr. FONBLANQUE had to apologize to his Lordship The murderer has escaped for the present.
for troubling him, but he certainly meant nothing - Boxtuo.--o'Deanel, a first-rate pugilist of light
like disrepect to his Lordship's authority. No man weight, has challedged 445b0t, who beat Junes, M-
I could possibly fed. more respect than Ite did for his, fifty gainers.