Star.
London, England, 1818-08-19 00:00:00

GUILDFORD AS,OZES.

The whole of the capit.:l convict thirty-two in number, have
arrived from Guildford at the C.itinty Gaol, llorxemonger-
lane : all of whom are repri.ved, except Weil, fill'
forging and uttering of various count,' fdt 'kink Notes;
C ,ak, for a burglary ; and Mllions Park for a like offence,
who are left for execution. The prisoners for minor °fences
have each been conveyed to the different prisons' to • undergo
their various punishments.
CORK ASSIZES, AITC. CST 7.
WHITF: V O'DMISCOLL.

This trial came oa before Baron Ssturft and a re-
spectable Jury. It was an action brought by the
plaintiff, Wm. Preston White, against the Proprietor
of The Cork Southern Reporter, for an alleged libel,
contained in an advertisement, set forth in the name
of Wm. Thompson, and published in that paper on
the 3d of February last. The dam tges were laid at 1
£l,OOO, and the defendant pleaded the general issue.
In his address to the Jury, Baron SMITH said, that
the action was founded on an advertisement, not an
anonymous advertisement, but one that ascertained
at once the author, beginning with his name and end-
ing with his address, inverted in the common course
and routine in a public paper, which had uniformly,
for a number of years, been conducted by the Editor
with great correctness, and which had frequently
contained paragraphs complimentary to the plaintiff;
a circumstance which negatived the idea of malice or
personal The presumption was too, that the
contents were unknown to the defendant, who would
be likely to read the paragraphs but not advertise-
ments, to which his paper gave admission.
The action arose out of a publication, which,
though libellous, was barely so, and barely trans-
gressed the limits set by law. It was brought against
the publisher, and not against the author. And this
was not a matter of necessity, but of choice. For the
Editor had at once offered to give up the author and
the manuscript ; thus not only directing the plaintiff
to the right quarter, but furnishing him with evidence
to support bis action, namely, the band-writing of
the author. It is said, that to vindicate his character
is the object of the plaintiff. Surely this would be
best vindic4ted in an action against one who would
have the means of justifying, if truth and law enabled
him :o do so ; and who, in failing to do so, would
shew that he was a calumniator. But here the plain-
tiff rejected this surrender, and the reason which he
assigned was, that the author was no mark for da-
mages or costs. This might be true; but what be-
came of those generous effusions which his Counsel
were instructed to indulge in? The plaintiff here seem-
ed to recollect his pocket and forget his reputation.
On the whole, the Learned Judge said he felt him-
self obliged to direct the'Jury to find for the plain-
: tiff ; but they would probably be disposed to console
themselves, under the necessity of following those di-
, rections, by awarding damages of very small amount.
The Jury found a vet.lict fez tlx
damages, and Gd: cost>.

itinETING OF MAJOR CARTWRIGHT'S
FRIEND*

Yesterday a Meeting was held at the Horns Ta-'
vern, Kennington,. of " the Friends of radical Re-
forra, and its advocate 3lajer Cartwright."
.. *At five o'clock about 400 persons sat down to din-
ner, thelion. llouoLAa KIN N A tnn in the Chair.
After dinnerthe first toasts were—

" Prorle, •the only source of legitimate power."
" and Canititlltioo, and a speedy recovery to bosh."
" A real ltemertniation of the Pe:ple in Parliammte by
which both the King and Nation may be :reed from the usurp-.
Lion of a llarmigb-mongering oligarchy."
Mr. KINNAIRD rose to propose as a toast, &name
which was intimately connected with Reform. The
company would anticipate that he alluded to him
who had so long and so ably advocated that cause.
It was scarcely necessary to name him, because there
was no other Englishman to whose lot it had fallen,
to manifest so long and so consistent a support riche
public cause. it was, however, his misfortune to
state, that that life which had been spent ie the sef-
vice of the country, was now attacked by indisposi•
Lion. The worthy Major had sent a letter, contain-
ing a.statement of his sentiments, which he was only
able to sign, and this letter was accompanied by a
note from the physician.—(Here Mr. Kianaird read a
letter from Major Cartatight. It expressed his re-
ret at not being able to attend the Meeting, and re-
"guested that Mr. Cleary might be permitted to read,
la paper containing what he wished to address to the
Meeting. He a.so read a note from Sir Christopher
Pegge, which stated that the Major's indisrosition
proceeded from obstructed persp:ration, but intima-
ted that his recovery might he expected in a few days.)
Mr. Kinnaird then proceeded to remark, that the title
of the Major to the approbation of the friends of Re-
form, was enhanced by his having been made the
object of malignant' abuse and misrepresentation.—
Among his calumniators, a professional Gentleman,
not unknown to those who composed that Meeting,
had charged him with making big blunders, and pro-
posing little nostrums. In both Houses of Parlia-
ment it was asserted that Annual Parliaments were
Unknown to our history ; and yet, in the recently
published manifesto of the party that made this as-
sertion, it was admitted that Parliaments had been
Sessional, and that there had often been several Par-
liaments even in the course of one year. But it was
singular, that he who proposed radical Reform
should be the person accused of applying little nos-
trums to the Constitution. The quack doctors who
wish to patch up the health of a patient, might justly ,
be charged with dealing in nostrums, but such inef-
ficient applications never were proposed by the wise
physician who was desirous of producing a radical
cure. After an eulogy on Major Cartwright, 11-.
'Kinnairl concluded with proposing the following
toast—" The venerable Major Cartwright, the father
of Reform, and may he live to see a death-blow
givers to corruption.
Mr. CLEARY stated, that he had seen Major Cart-
wright in the morning, who then stated his most an-
xious wish to attend the Meeting; but as drat was
impossible, he had sent an address in manuscript,
Which he (Mr. Cleary) hoped the compel; would
rpermit him, to read. The manuscript, which was of
'considerable length, was now read by Mr. Cleary.
h insisted on the necessity of radical Reform, and
recommended the introduction of a Bill for that ob-
ject into Parliament by Sir Francis Burdett. Some-
thing tangible, on which the public Mind could be
find was wanting. When t'xsar was killed, the
apeereir of Mark Antony over his.body had little ef-
fect, till he spoke to the people of the will of Crear.

In the like manner, if air Francis Burdett should
bring forward a Bill, an object would •be distinctly
presented to the consideration of the public, and
there would soon be a general cry of—" 'the Bill—
the Bill—Burdett's Bill. We will hare Burdett's
The address concluded with proposing the
following sentiment to be drank by the company as
a Yeast—" Take your choice, a Civil Government or
a military despotism ; in other words, Burdett's Bill
or eastlereiorlis ba;onet." _

This beiug.- drank, the next toast was—" Sir Fran-
cis Burdett and the Reformers of, England."
Sir FnaNets Buni.Err believed that, after the able
speech which had berm delivered Boni the Chair,_in
every word of which, and in particular in the ap-
probation bestowed on the Major, he concurred, and
after the discourse which had just been read to them
by Me. Cleary, it would not be necessary for him tat'
say much on the object of the Meeting. At the.
same time he thought he should fail in shewing that
respect which he considered due to Gentlemen who.
had drank the toast just given from the Chair with
so much kind approbation, if he did not take thii op=
portunity of saying a few words. With respect.te
the purpose for which they had that day assembled,
he should only observe, that it combined, both on
public and private grounds, every thing most grati-
fying to his feelings. Ile never felt more interest in
any public meeting than in the present; and for Ma-
jor Cartwright,. his character had been too long and
too intimately known to all present, to render it ne-
cessary for him to descant on his merits. On that
occasion, however, it could not be superfluous to.
notice the unfounded aspersions which had been cast
on that venerable character, and in that respect the'
worthy Chairman had relieved him from much of
the task which he should otherwise have regarded as
imposed upon him. But there was one topic which
had been left untouched, which he thdught ought
not to be omitted. Since it was found that Maio:-
Cartwright's lite was spotless, that his honour and in-
tegrity could not be questioned, and that he was dis-
tinguished for all those virtues which render a rnaa
estimable in the eyes of others, it had been given cut
by his adversaries, v.ho were also the adversaries. of
Reform, that his mental and bodily powers had failed.
him, and that he was in fait become an old wocnan.
How far this was from the truth the paper which
had just been read would suffice to spew. That able
exposition of his opinions was not the production of
a man who could be regarded in his dotage, or who
deserved the epithets which had been applied to him.
The author of that paper was now fast advancinkio
SO years of age, and he wrote with a force and spirit
which might induce those who heard it rather
suppose that it carma from the pen of cne who
not yet reached twenty. Ile should be had ,
young men manifest an equal degree of energy
the cause of liberty. Unfortunately but too m;
young men of the pre,cat day w ere impres.,A
old wonhiniah ..%•Indl to'