Star.
London, England, 1821-12-27 00:00:00

IMPORTANT DECISION.
&rem Court of the State of Ohio for Jefferson Csunty, Oc-
tober Term, 1821 ; present, Peace, ChiefJustiee,ind lincs-
• coca, Judge.
THE STATE OF OHIO 0.. ELIZABETH GEORGE.
This was a prosecution by indictment against-the
defendant, a woman of colour, for the murder of her
infant.—The Traverse Jury being empanelled and
sworn, the Counsel for the State offered Mary Cooper,
a black woman, as a witness, to prove the fact of
killing. The Counsel for the prisoner objected to
her being sworn as a witness, on the ground that she
was intompetent to certify in the cause by the Statute
of this State, amendatory ta the Act entitled an Act
to regulate Black and Mulatto Persons. The section
of the law upon which the objection was founded is
in these words :.If Be it further enacted, That no
black or mulatto person or persons shall hereafter be New Spain . - Square Leagues. Inhabitants.
- 118,477 7.450,000
permitted to be sworn or give evidence in any Court Guathnala -
Cuba and Florida . . 43,089 1,200,000
of Record, or elsewhere, in this State,. in any cause PNueewnoGßranictaidaand St.. Do;flingo. - "real 592,000
depending, or matter of controversy, where either493,ooo
- 80,433 1,600,000
party to the same is a white person, or in any prose- Carseeas - . - 84,561 900,000
cution which shall be instituted in behalf of this State Peru • - - 60,172 1,500,000
against any white person." The witness offered in Calla. - . . - -
14492,9,000
1, 009000,,000
. 55 000
this case was pure black; and the prisoner. was ad- Tin philipo. - 13,888 1,740,000
'flitted to be a quadroon or one fourth black. It was The Man-James - 1,425
• 80,000
contended by the.Cciunsel for the prisoner, that the The revenues of Spain in 1817 anioanted to
term mulatto, made use of in the Statute, did not in- 620,000,000 of teals (or about £6,000,000). Its
dude all the grades of people of colour between military force in 1806 amounted to 262,000, of which
white and black, but was confined to half-bloods, or 110,000 were for the Colonies. Its Navy was corn-
the offspring of a white and black, and that such had posed of 283 vesseh, of which 43 were of the line.
been the decisions of the Courts of this State; and ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE.
that, as a consequence, this defendant, not being a The Provisional Council of this Society have re.
black or mulatto, was to be considered as a white, and commenced their weekly sittings: and it is antici.
entitled to all the privileges of a white. It was also pated that, by the date of its first anniversa:., , in Ja-
claimed, that the intermediate grades between black nnary, the whole matured plan, the names of the ten
and mulatto were to he considered as black. It was Royal Associates, the code of laws by which the In-
ad ..itted on the part of the State, that it had been stitution is permanently to be regulated, the election
decided that the term mulatto extended only to half- of officers, and all other necessaty acts, will have
bloods. But it was claimed, that in putting a con- been completed, sanctioned by the Royal Founder,
struction upon the Statute law in question, two gees- and a full exposition promulgated for the general
Lions arose— . knowledge of the kingdom.
Ist. Who were included in the terms black and EXPERIMENTS or at. YELIN ON ELECTRO-MAGNETAM:
mulatto, and thereby disabled from testifying? M. Le Chevalier YELIN, a learned Bavarian, dis.
2d. Who were included in the term white person, covered, some time ago, that needles of steel become
and therefore entitled to the privilege of excluding magnetic when placed in a glass tube sin-roomier"
blacks and mulattoes from testifying against them? with metallic spiral, and When electrical soarks, or
It was admitted by the Counsel for the State, that; the charge of a Leyden battery, were tratainitted
when the Legislature excluded blacks and mulattoeslaiong the spiral. When the spiral was tut ned from
from testifying, it might be a fair construction of thellett to right, and the sparks taken from the I.ootive
Statute to suppose that they intended also to excludelconductor, the end of the needle which pins to it
the intermediate grades between blacks and mulat- becomes a south pole, and the other a north pole,
-toes ; because there would be the same reason for and vice versa. It' a third needle, reckoning from its
excluding 'those who were more than half black, as middle, is surrounded ins a spiral manner with waxed
there would be for excluding mulattoes. taffetas, then the poles appear at the points where
But it was urged, that the Legislature, in describ- the spiral begins and ends. If, instead of a spiral
ing the cases where the disability was to operate, ha& wire; a rod of metal is extended along the glass
made u.....f the te. its white Perron alone; that the tube, the steep needle• placed within becomes feebly
term white person, in common parlance, meant one magnetic after several strong electrical discharges.
who had no mixture of black blood, and was used in The poles of a magnetic needle were entirely re.
contradistinction to persons of colour, or those who versed by several electrical discharges along thespiral.
were wholly or in any part black. There was no in- GLASS OF THE ANCIENTS.
stance in any Dictionary of the English language, or A cabinet has been opened at the Studii at Naples,
in any other book, where the term " white person" containing a collection of glass found amongst the
was not limited to those who were pure white; that ruins of Pompeii and Hetculaneum. This valuable
the distinctions which exist in society, and which assemblage exhibits the greatest variety both in forms
were the occasion of passing this law, did not autho- and colours, and proves, in the most satisfactory
rise the placing of quadroons in the same class with manner, that the ancients were as well acquainted as
the whaes ; that, it the Legislature had said that ourselves with the manufactory of this material.
blacks should not testify where mulattoes and whites NATURAL lIISTORY.—AN ACCOUNT OF THE RATTLE-
were parties, it would have been a just construction SNAKE.
of the law to have included the intermediate grades, Mr. JAMES PIERCE, h: his account of the Geology,
but not otherwise. Scenery, &c. of the Counties of Newhaven alai Litch-
The Court supported the objection to the witness, field, has given the following account of the rattle.
and the prisoner was acquitted, there being no other snake :—A )(ming man, havimg net with a large and
testimony against her. vigorous rattle-snake, instead of killing it with his
This decision is important ; because it settles the long cart wino, as lie could easily have done, amused
principle, that quadroons, and others of an interme- himself by provoking it, and gently playing his whip
(hate grade between whites and mulattoes, are entitled around its body. The irritated testile made repeated
to all the right, and privileges, and subject to all the and vigorous leaps towards the young man, coming
liabilities of white persons ; or, in other words, are, in nearer to him at every effort ; and being teased more
law, to be considered as white. They are liable to be and more with the whip, at last threw himself into
called upon to do Militia duty, and work upon the the air with such energy, that when he descended
highways; and have a right to vote at all elections, he seemed scarcely to touch the ground; but in-
equally with whites; and may be appointed to, and stantly rebounding, executed a succession of leave,
hold any office in the State. so rapid and so great, that these was not the slightest
DEFINITION OF DRUNKENNESS. intermission, and he appeared to fly. The young
FROM THE PENN-TAN HERALD. man betook himself to a rapid flight ; but this dread-
A new and novel case in the annals of law occur- ful pursuer gained rapidly upon hint, till approach.
red in this town on the 3d of December. The facts ing a fence, he perceived that he could not pass it
were substantially as follows: before the fangs of the snake would he hooked in his
Abner Pierce, several months since was, by the flesh. As his only resource, he turned, and by a
Overseers of this town, placed upon the " Drunken fortunate throw of his lash, by which lie wound
List," according to the Act "concerning the estates it conip.etely round the serpent's body, he ar-
ch habitual drunkards." A few weeks ago the said rested his progress, and succeeded in killing him.
Pierce proceeded according to law, by appealing— Mr. Fleece had a living rattle-snake two months in
whereupon the Magistrate issued his venire, and a his possession, and every day watched his manners.
Jury were accordingly summoned to be and appeal He immediately killed most birds and small animals,
before the said Magistrate, on the 3d inst. On the when put into his cage, but did not eat them. He
CHILBLAINS, RHEUMATISMS, PALSIES, Etc.
day appointed the appellant appeared with his wit- permitted a toad, however, to remain weeks with him
CHILBLAINS are prevented from breaking, and nesses, to chew that he was not an habitual drunkard unmolested, and allowed it to leap upon his body and
their tormenting itching instantly removed, by WHITE- i
within the meaning of the Act. Three witnesses on sit upon his head. When he opened his mouth his
were sworn, who stated, in substance, that. fangs were not visible unless he was provoked ; at
y Rheumatism,Palsies. Gouty Affec. !his part IIEAD's ESSENCE oef MinUSTAßD,:universally esteemed for I
ittsioneztradortdoirroaeiffin
tsraof the Stomach; but where this certain re- i they had been acquainted with him for a number of other times they were covered with a membrane like
needy has been unknown, or neglected, and the Chilblains have ! years, and that they had seen him trequen.ly and al- a scabbard, only they were drawn back, Sr that the
actually broke, WHITEHEAD'. FAMILY CERATE will :
most daily for the past year, and that they could not sheathing membraneformed only a slight protuberance
;that erne,
was drunk, but stated tha,t, they had, during on each side of the upper jaw. If iiritazed, he flat-
ease the pain, and very speedily heal them. This Cerate is equally '
efficacious fzzUrillim-cpoin,tioithrminestSoornrelss:Soshrienglifsg.sis,S:ecankrbinuats.oicEruut!s; I
time, seen him"" merry," well to live," and celled his, head, threw it back, opened his mouth wide,
' thetn se
aßlcew, pretty well cock'd ; all of whom agreed in their and instantly the fatal fangs were shot out of their
Nose, Ears and Eyelids, Sore and Inflamed Eyes, Sore 66
Heads, and other gcorbutic Humours. The ESSENCE of
testimony, that they had "never seen him sofar gone sheaths like a spring dagger, and he darted upon his
object. " After Ins death," says Mr. PIERCE, " I
MUSTARD is perhaps the most active, penetrating, and effica-
cious remedy in the world, - curing the severest Sprains andbut .
'in less than half the time usually taken by any other Lt- Ihe overseers then produced their witnesses to i examined the tangs:—they are shaped like a sickle ;
[feat he could stand up."
prove that he was an habitual drunkard within the' a duct led from the reservoir of poison at the bottom
nc
witht ur e s fm
incredi-
nßrinuient or EmbrocaNtiaonii.!
Sharp instruments,meaning of the said law, and for this purpose, five' of the tooth, quite through its whnle length, and ter.
'ills also
iirs , heats
Splinters,e uts
Cuts,
ter-
ble facility, without smart or pain, preventing inflammation and
festering,and is equally useful in the various accidents of aut. I . k., .
>ersOns neh,hbours of the said appellant, were sworn, minuted just by the point, which was exceedingly
! al ' short, it is a domestic tenuity of arch uncommon ex- who concurred in their testimony, that they had been sharp. Thus the fang is darted out at the will of the
enlellenceinand utility. that no family sensible to its own comfort acquainted with him for a number of years, and that animal; it makes the puncture at tile instant, and si-
sastaa ever be without it. recently they had frequently seen him drunk, and . multaneously the poison flows through the duct, and
Prepared only and sold by R. Jonserox, Apothecary, I
15' much intoxicated with Jiquor, insomuch that he was is deposited in the very bottom of the-wound. As
Greek street, Soho, Lonaon. The Eisevce and fills at 2s. 9d.
incapable of attending to his business. The case was this rarely fails to touch a blood-vessel, the venom is
each; the Cerate at 15.10. and 2.. od. and may be had of every
Medicine Vender in the United Kingdom. them upon the above testimony, by the direction of !thus instantly-issued into the system, and without A-
i the Court,t-fouh ever y
'the genuine has a black juk stamp, with the name of R.
I half an hour, and* re;ttined with, as the Foteman 1 vein and artery."—( knerican JO arnal of &tenet).
Jomisecei inserted ou it.
• . _