The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-11-13 00:00:00

COURT OF EXCHEQUER

JONES V. LITTLER.
This was an action for slanderous words, tried before Baron
Rolfe at the last assizes for Liverpool, when a verdict was re-
turned for the plaintiff, with 40s. damages.
Mr. Kelly now moved to enter a nonsuit, or for a new
trial, upon the ground that the evidence was not sufficient to
sustain a verdict. According to the learned counsel's state-
ment, the plaintiff was a brewer, and had lately been elected
a town-councillor for the borough of Liverpool. The de-
fendant disapproved of the plaintiff's election, and at a meet-
ing which took place after a coursing match, used the slan-
derous words which formed the foundation for the action.
The words charged the plaintiff with being a rogue, having
been compelled to leave Westmoreland for dishonesty, and
having been in a sponging-house within a fortnight for debt.
The defendant was asked whether he meant to apply his ob-
servations to Mr. Jones, the brewer, of Rosehill, and he
said, " Yes, it is him." It was objected to at the trial, that
as the words were not actionable in themselves, it was
necessary to prove the averment in the declaration that the
words were spoken not only of the plaintiff, but of and con-
cerning the plaintiff in his trade as a brewer; and that it did
not appear that the language used had any reference to the
plaintiff's trade. The learned judge, however, thought that
as an imputation was made as to the plaintiff's solvency, and
it appeared that he was in trade, it was impossible for the
jury not to infer that the slanderous words were used con-
cerning the plaintiff in his trade. He gave the defendant's
counsel leave, however, to take the opinion of the court on
the question, and this motion was accordingly made.
Mr. Baron Parke thought there was no ground for enter-
ing a nonsuit, but that the learned judge ought to have left
it to a jury to say whether the words were spoken of the
plaintiff in his trade as brewer, and as this question had not
been left to the jury, the defendant was entitled to a rule for
a new trial.

The other Barons concurring, a rule nisi for a new trial
was granted.

The venerable and gallant Lord Lynedoch, now upwards of
ninety years of age, is on board the Howe as a passenger to
Malta, for the benefit of a warm climate in the ensuing

winter

AN ESCAPE.—A bullock, which had been over-driven,
created considerable alarm in the Strand, on Monday after-
noon. While rushing along at a furious rate, some boys in
their terror ran up the pit entrance to the English Opera
House. They were followed, however, by the infuriated
animal, when one poor little fellow actually fell on his knees,
and prayed to the bullock not to hurt him. With some dif-
ficulty the animal was got away, without doing any injury to
the scared urchins, whom lie had thus for some time at his
mercy.

DEATH OF THE PRINCESS BORGIIESE.---011T Paris cor-
respondent writes, that intelligence was received in Paris, on
Friday, of the death, at Rome, of the Princess Borghese,
daughter of the Earl of Shrewsbury.—Morning Post. The
late princess (before her marriage the Lady Gwendaline-
Catherine Talbot) was in her 23d year, having been born
Dec. 3, 1817, was married to the Prince of Sulmona, eldest
son of the Italian Prince Borghese, May 11th, 1835, and in
July of the present year presented him with a son and heir to
the principality and estates.

An anti-spasmodic lately introduced, and which is highly
appreciated under the name of Woodhouse's Ethereal Es-
sence of Ginger, is an agreeable and elegant preparation of
that valuable root, in a very concentrated form, and deserves
the notice of all families ; the Faculty's testimonials to this
preparation is without precedent. —Naval and Military Ga-
zette, March 15.

A CARNIVOROUS HORSE.—Recently a flock of sheep be-
longing to Earl Lovelace were turned into a field at East
Horsley, and on the following morning two were found dead,
and their flesh much torn. The shepherd, suspecting it to
be a dog that had committed the slaughter, was determined
to watch for him; he did so, but to his utter astonishment
saw a horse, belonging to a person named Lucas, ru

...nnin in
the field with the sheep,attack them, killvone, the
blood, suck the
blood, and eat part of the flesh.—Devizes Gazette.
GIGANTIC SKELETON.—As the workmen of Messrs. Parry
and Jones were digging-a new paint pit at Llaullianna, near
Amlwch, they discovered, within three feet of the surface, a
stone urn ; on opening which they found a human skeleton,
in a high state of preservation, measuring the extraordinay
length of seven feet six inches. The skeleton throughout
was quite proportional to its length, and in a very perfect
condition. The urn appears to have been made from the
Aberdovey limestone, and had the appearance of being much
corroded by time. It bears no inscription to throw on its
history any rays of information, to gratify the inquiries of the
curious respecting the gigantic " remnant of departed years."
From the rude nature of this urn or coffin, it seems probable
that the body had been first laid in the grave, and limestdnes
placed round its sides, and on the top only, which, from
length of time they had lain under ground, had become ce-4
mented together.

EAGLES.—The prince of birds is now rarely seen in the
Highlands, for the march of improvement is driving them,
like the Red Indians of America, to the very remotest
mountain solitudes. A pair have long built (above 50 years,
it is said,) near the entrance of the Pass of Inverfarigaig, on
the banks of Loch Ness ; and eagles are still seen in the
western parts of Inverness-shire. In Sutherland we heard of
one (a majestic looking bird) that had been caught in a large
trap, which it had strength to carry to a considerable dis-
tance, till both fell into a lake. A correspondent informs us
that Mr. James Richmond, gamekeeper to Mr. Gladstone, of
Liverpool, has, from September, 1839, to June of this year,
trapped six eagles on a high hill, on the farm of Auglina-
sheen, in Ross-shire. One of the eagles measured, from
tip to tip of the wing, 8 feet 2 inches, and the span of his
claws were 6 inches. The noble bird displayed " the terrors
of his beak and lightning of his eye" from the top of a cairn
or monument erected by the gentlemen pursuing the trigo-
nometrical survey. The same gamekeeper has also taken a
number of wild cats, one measuring 3 feet 10 inches, and
another three feet 8 inches.—lnverness Courier.

A Hum-nuo.—The learned Dr. 'Waterhouse, justly de-
nominated the " American Jenner," while professor of na-
tural history in Harvard University some years ago, made
an artificial insect, to the limbs of which he could communi-
cate motion while he held it in his hand. After exhibiting
it to the class he was lecturing, and permitting every pupil to
inspect it, none of them could tell to what class of insects it
belonged, though they all believed it to be a real living crea-
ture, the Doctor thus addressed them :—" I suppose, young
gentlemen, you wish to be informed of the name of this bug ;
had you examined it more attentively, you would all have
perceived that it was a hum-buy."

INCARCERATION OF A DEBTOR, AND Ills SPEEDY RE-
LEASE.—On Tuesday last, a poor man was conveyed from
Blackburn to Lancaster Castle, for default of payment of a
debt, amounting to the extraordinary sum of eleven shil-
lings and nine pence ! ! Our informant says, the debt was
arrear of poor-rates, and that the man was taken by an
officer of the union ; in this, however, he may have been
mistaken, but there is no doubt about the man being sent to
prison for the above paltry sum. As soon as the circum-
stance became known among the debtors, the amount, with
an additional sum, was immediately collected and the debt
discharged. The half-naked defaulter was then divested of
his garments, which were " all tattered and torn," and after
being cleaned and shaved, he was dressed, from " top to toe,"
in the habiliments of a gentleman, selected from the ward-
robes of the generous debtors. One of the debtors being in
posession of that marshalling mnsical instrument, the life,
he played an appropriate march, and the whole of the debtors
formed a procession, and escorted the prisoner to the door,
which was immediately thrown open, and as soon as the.
newly-clad son of freedom stepped out to breathe the air of
liberty, the castle walls resounded with three times three
huzzas. The poor fellow being furnished with cash, to pay
his fare to Preston, by the railway, and for other necessary
expenses, he proceeded to the station, and actually took his
seat in the same carriage with the person who had been his
guardian to the prison, but the man had not the slightest
recollection of his quondam companion and prisoner. This
act of the generous debtors is worthy of praise ; as a learned
author says, " The poor man who envies not the rich, who
pities his companions in poverty, and who can spare some-
thing for him who is still poorer, is in the realms of humanity
—a king of kings."—Preston Chronicle.

PRACTICAL Hoax.—About a fortnight ago, two young
men, in connection with a railway, in this town, came to the
determination of having a little bit of amusement at other
people's expense ; and, in order to do so, it was arranged
that one of them should profess to be newly married ; the
bride elect, according to previous agreement, countenancing
the statement as true. A week of the feigned honeymoon
passed in joyous hilarity, and the shopmates of the mock-
bridegroom were enjoying the thoughts of a glorious " tuck
out,' which they were promised, in the shape of a supper,
at a well-known public-house, in the Market-place. The
well remembered night came, and each, " big with expect-
ancy," prepared for rendering ample justice to the respective
joints promised for the occasion, viz—Roast beef, mutton,
fowls of all kinds, soups, pies, tarts, &c., .to conclude with
the luxury of custards, cream-cheese, &c. Several of the
invited guests:took the trouble, in the course of the day, to
call at the inn, to make full and satisfactory enquiries, as to
. the precise time the cloth would be laid, and as to the pro-
gress of the culinary department. The parties, who were all
punctual to the time, had very successfully polished their
swarthy faces, and were eloquently lavish in their praises to
their liberal host, wishing him and his good lady all the joys
and comforts of a wedded life, and universal prosperity to
their succeeding generation. Several gallons of John Barley-
corn were toasted away in this manner, when the sententious
waiter (Ann) announced, with due gravity, " supper.is on
the table, gentlemen," leading the way to the room where
was spread out their repast, carefully and warmly covered up
with dishes. All parties appeared good humoured—eyes that
sometimes appeared dull, now sparkled with vivacity—there
was a beaming smile upon each countenance, like the sun
suddenly laughing from behind a summer's cloud, and a
looker-on might easily perceive from their preparations and
respective appetites where whetted to
the
appearance,
bent.
one
took his chair with an air of imposing
complacency ; and those gentlemen who had kindly consented
to carve, began to make sundry preliminaries, such as turning
up the cuffs of their coats, and stretching out their arms as
if determined to have full sweep and freedom in their carving
operations. At length the covers were duly removed, when,
In ! what a ghastly appearance presented itself to their asto-
nished vision. From the sunshine of June, they suddenly
sunk back into the bleak gloom of December;--one unvaried
mess of water-porridge and buttermilk met their withering
gaze, and all was in a moment—chaos. The disconsolate,
expectants threw plates, &c., in all directions, and some of
them departed uttering sundry unpleasant remarks upon the
disgraceful joke played upon them, others determined to
make the " best of a bad job," plastering the faces of those
around them with the porridge, while the party who brought
them together richly relished the joke, by peeping through
the window from the outside, during the novel anti-epicurean
scene.--Preston Chronicle.