The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-04-10 00:00:00

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assistance of a constable, iefficted a grievous itthta oil tbe6
plaintiff. What was tlreTeaUSe Which first ;save. a,ffeaci:to Mr.
Fegan ? Tne fancied wrong that Mr. Griffiths hao done him.
He knesi dot whether it .was that -Mr. Griffith bads in his paper,
exercised an opinion adverse to him, or whesner he lied not dams
justice to some of his exhibitions of inagisteriat authority and
judgments : he could nut profess to judge, bin they ilseuld judge
for themselves whether Mr. Fegan and Mr. 'Sainte had n-o to-
gether been ,guiity of inflicting a grievous injury on Mr. Griffiths,
and whether they would find oily, toe saightest palliation tor
what had been dune. 'n fact, Mr. Fegan adulated that he had -
done wrong, and if tie had, Whistle had dons wr'on'g aiso. it
would appear that the•insgistrates of Wigan are in the habit of
holding their petty sessions, and sit two together on certaiti
days. Mr. Fegau nail obtained his office on the passing of the
municipal reform bill. . Why by a coincidence of opinion.
amongst those in the town, Mr. Fegan should ever have been
reconitnended to the important office of magistrate, he ceui9
not guess. Unquestionably it would strike all, that Mr, Fessau
could be little adapted by education, by feeling, be -occupation
or judgment, for the office he filled, and left them to regret that
the magistrates should nut have been appointed by the respena
smithy of the crowu's minister, rather than on the reconirueeda-
tion of others whose judgment in the 'matter could be little re-
lied on. It would appear that Mt. Griffiths was in the haoit of
taking notes before the magistrates of such cases as were likely -
to create public interest. Every newspaper editor employed
some persowto attend in courts of justice whose proceedings at-
tracted attention, to take note of such cases as were calculated
to give pleasure or interest the' readers of their paper ; but
was it ever heard of till the present time that a judge—in- ,
deed, they • would not care anything about the matter
in any of the higher courts—snootmi get into his head
that
.a anewspaper. editor was to publish every case that
was heard in his court. It was one of the absurdest within*
he ever heard in his life. It appeared that Mr. Fegan had taken
great offence against Mr. Griffiths because he had not published
all the reports of all the cases brought before their vini•ships the
magistrates of Wigan. Perhaps Mr. Fegan was anibitious of -
the fame of some of the London police magistrates, renowned
in the reports for their savings and the laughable cases brought
before them, and therefore was offended that some such case
was not reported. On the 231 of June the petty sessions was
.held at Wigan, and Mr. Griffiths's clerk had in the fiist
gene to take notes, and Mr. Whittle told him " if he dtd not
report every thinglie should-report nothing, and the clerk upon
this told Mr. Griffiths, who went himself to see what was the
matter, when Mr. Whittle said to hiui, "This won't do at all;
you have left out Dauber's case." To which Mr. Griffith said,
"What is the harm-. of that?" Said Whittle, "If You don't
publish every thing you Shan't publish any thing; don't iota-
pose you are to sit at that table, and •take notes without." Sul,'
pose every newspaper editor in Liverpool were to publish
all the trash:they talked at the assizes; the readers of tilosa
papers would be utters disgusted, and vote the editor a very
ereat goose - for his pains, and condemn his paper as a dull.
4 affair, and commit it to the flames, and send for soine.other •
paper where better taste was shown iu the selection of
matter. Mr. Griffith replied to the constable " I can't
and won't." "Then vou be off from the table" said hes
and take your station among the crowd, and what is more,
if you don't publish every thing, you shan't come here at
all." "I choose to manage my own affairs in my own way,"
said, the plaintiff.. " Oh, take him to prison, take ,him to
prison," said theanagisfrale, and Mr. Griffiths was accordingly
seized by two constables, taken through the public market,
placed in custody, and lodged in gaol. As soon,as he was there,
he sent for his attorney, who applied to the magistrates on his
behalf to know what they intenued to do next, when they replied
"that he must enter his recognizances, himself in £2O. and two
sureties of £lO. each.' " What to do?" asked the attorney.
"Oh, to keep the race towards the magistra- es of Wial-an."
(Laughter.) The jury would say what compensation should be
paid for this injury and insult on a respectable man. Mr. Fe-
gan had afterwards aggravated that insult by offering £5. in
compensation, when an apology far his comfit( t would have
been worth ten times £5. to Mr. Griffith. He called
Wm. Greehadge, who deposed that he was in the u.6ce of the
plaintiff, who was editor of the ' Wigan Gazette." Mr. fegati
was a Justice of Peace at Wigan, and Mr. Whittle was the Chief
Constable. Mr. Griffith had been in fire habit of attending the
Petty Sessions for the purpose of reporting the cases that came
before the Court. On the 23d June, witness Welt to the Petty
SesSions for Mr. Griffiths, and Mr. Fegan was there on the
bench, and Whittle was present.. Whittle asked where Mr.
Griffith was, and then asked him why Dauber's case was not re-
ported. Mr. Fegan inquired of Whittle, ." What is to do now?"
and Whittle said, " Another case left out,"—(a laugh,)—and
Fegan said, " Aye, let me see, that case of Dr. Lambe's was
not in;" and they went on grumbling, and he (witness) said he
would go and fetch Mr. Griffiths; and he came and took his
seat at the table where he usually sat, under the heist+. Whittle
asked hint wily that case of Dauber's was not and Mr. Grif-
fiths said, " Idun't know," and Whittle said, " If. you come
here you must report impartially ; you are not to pick out cases
here and there; you must report all or none." Mr. Gritlithri
said, " He should do as he thought proper, and no( submit to
his interference." Whittle then said, " Stand behind among
the crowd; you shall not sit there at that table. Mr.-Griffiths
said, " He should not leave the room till they made that a clear
court, and then he should leave it with the rest of the people."
Whittle then said, Leave the room, Sir:" Mr. Griffiths said,
" I shall not." Mr. Fegan thin said, " lie must either report
impartially and correctly, or ha. shall not report at all, and he
shall not sit at that table; and unless he reports every case, Fie
shall leave the room." Mr. Griffiths then said to Mr. Fegau,
" I wish you would mind your business and I will mind mine."
Both Mr. Fegan and Whittle then ordered him. to, leave the
room, and he refused. They then called constables, and ordered
them to remove him; the plaintiff seemed unwilling to go, and
Fegan called out, " take him up Milgate, take him up Mtlgate,
take him to prison." The plaintiff was then conveyed between
two constables to the lock-up, a-here he remained about half
an hour, till he was released on bail being given for hint by
Mr. Ackerley, his attorney, and another gentleman. The wit-
ness was cross-examined at great length, to shoor that both the
plaintiff and defendant were irritated.
Mr. Ackerley, solicitor, proved the giving bail for the libera-
tion of the plaintiff.
Mr. ALEIANDER raised a point of law, if his Lordship did
not think the defendant justified in 'Committing the plaintiff ore
the ground of his being insolent to the magistrate in the execu-
tion of his office, quoting Chitty's edition of Burns, vol. 3,
page 564.
His I,Oitostile overruled the point. He said, we Should live
in a strange country if a magistrate had a riabt to do that.
Mr. A I.le)C A N VRIt then addressed the jury for the defenee, lie
said, they. most attribute the unlawful proeee,ithg of the oiattis,
trate to his ignorance of the-hew, and not. to a..wilful breaking
of it. He lamented with his friend Mr. Cresswell, that thdi.
either
that r:';lt ti.:tl"rl; injury pre-
class of persons admitted as magistrates under the municipal
act, v. ere not fitted. for their. station by
vitals occupation, or'feeling. He contended; t
the. defendant was small, as he had only been imprisoned twenty'
minutes, and called on the jury to give light (Iy' wages.
jury
His Loans» le briefly summed up the ease, d
found a verdict for the plaintiff damages £7O,

BAPTISM of CONVERTED Jaws.—We understand that on
Friday evening next, a sermon will be preached in St. Simon's
Chapel, Sir Tnninas' Buildimzs, to which "the children „r thu
House of Israet" are invited, and that two converted Jews Wilt
be peptised on the occasion, making a total of sowenieen since
the above place was opened for divine worship, under the
ministry of the Rev. H. S Joseph., We rejoice to find that so
many of the Jews in this town have been led to embrace chnsti-
anity. Several others are now inquiring after the truth and
under probation, previously to their admission into the christian
church.. It is gratifying to witness such conclusive evidence of
,the futility of those arguments which-have been so much pressed -
uNin the christian public to dissuade them from all exertions
for the conversion of the Jews.

LIVERpOHL AND New YORK STEAM NAVIGATtoN COMPANY.
—Gteat surprise has been expressed, that Liverpool, which is
so intimately connected with New York, should have allowed
London and Bristol to get the start of her in the enterprise to
navigate the Atlantic with steam-ships. We understand that a
company has been started in Liverpool, under the name of the
" Liverpool and'New 'York•Steain Navigation Company," who
propose to build steam-ships for the purpose of funning -between
Liverpool and New York. We trust that the scheme will pros-
per, and that Liverpool at length, take proper place in
keeping uraand facilitating the intercourse between the Old aud
the New Wiuld.' We are evidently on the eve of a revolution
in transatlantic navigation.
STEAM NAVIGATION ACROSS THE ATLANTIC.—We have in-
serted, in another place, an account of the departure of the
Sirius.leam-shin, from Cork to New York. • She is expected to
reach that city about the 20th inst., and the Great Western,
steam•slop, which was to take het departure from Bristol on
Saturday, about the same time. The Sirius is, it Will be seen, -
chartered by the British and American Steam NavigatiOn Com-
pany, who, through the failure of a party in Glasgow, were un-
able to get their own steam-ship ready at the time they expected.
The Victoria, one of their steam-ships, of which an account is •
given in another page, is building at I.nnehouse,on the Thames, •
She is expected to be ready in a mouth or two, and will, when.
fully equipped, take her departure from Liverpool for New,York.
Of the practicability of navigating the Atlantic by steam-vessels
there can be no doubt : the only quebtion to be settled is, will it
par/. If it will, steam-ships will, iu a very short time. monopo-
lite the conveyance of passengers and light goods between the
Old and the New W oral. The experiment as to the practica-
bility of steam-vessels crossing the Atlantic as well as to•their
paying their enterprising owners will be fairly tried during the
present year.—Albion.

LIVE TURBOT.—We the requested to contradict the follow in
paragraph, which appeared in the Chronicle, of Sat ortbi y last:—
'• Lists TuanoT.—We are happy to announce to our readers,
that, during the ensuing week, they will have an opportunity of
,obtaining that delicious luxury—live turbot, at an exceedingly
low price. Mr. Newton, 14, St. John's Fish Market, has, we
believe, received an abundant supply, at prices Varving front
ninepence to a shilling per pound."—We are assured, that no
such article has been recently imported into Liverpool. We
are also informed, that it is not true that the Coleraine and Port-
rush Salmon Fishery hai been let, as announced in a former
number of the same paper.
Pouricat. UNioNs.—At the Waiwiek Assizes on Monday
last, Mr. Justice Park, in the case of Forty r. Allport, said, that
political unions were disgraceful, to all men who were members
of them, and ruinous to the country. As an old man, he re-
commended all young men to avoid any connection with
them.
AL vast ne Pron.—Early on Saturday morning, .6 denSe slnoke
was perceived by one of the workmen who sleeps on the premises
of the extensive colour works of Messrs. J. and 3. Taylor, Sed-
don-street. lie instantly aroused Mr. Goldsmith, the principal
assistant, who, without waiting for his clothes, fortunately suc-
ceeded, by dint of great exertion and preseoCe of
,mind, in ex-
tinguishing the ,flames before they had committed nuyeousider
able damage to the property. But for this prompt interference
there can be no doubt, front the intlainthable nature of the Ma-
-1 tetials used ou the works, a Inuit disastrous couflagratiun must
have ensued.
Tits DisvkiissßlES.—Ther'e is, it will he sec n by the atltet-
fisement, a vacancy among the phyificians helongiog to these,
institutions. Dr. Nicholson, who hits held the situation Of phir-
Sician for seventeen vears; has found himself under the neeeiiiit.y,.
from the pressure of his private practice to resign his office IMO
the hands of the committee. We understand, front gentlemen ,
whose connexion with the institutions has given them amplti
means of observation, that Dr. Nicholsou hak, during his long .
period of Servitude, displayed the gi eatest i teel ti the performance
of his professional duties, anti that the committee, while they
recognise the neteSsity; regret the fact of the resignation of ail
Skilful and zealous an 'officer.—A/bion.
Tn't NORTH UNION RAILWAY.—This great undertaking iii,
in rapid prOgreSS towards completion ; and notwithstanding the
many unforeseen and unfavourable circumstances that have,.
from time to time, retaided the works, the whole line will
probably be opened towards the end of August.
• Coat-PIT ACCIDENT.—On Tuesday last, Thomas Lorgworth
and Joseph Lawton; two colliers, went into the pit at Fat ri Aiirth,
near Bolton, to make some repairs in the wall,during the L:b,_euce
of the wit krueo ; when either chink want of caution iii tAivg
out the bricks and stones. or by misadventure, a great portion
of the wall fell down with such torte as to carry Longworth
along with it out of the tub in which he stood; and having forced
the timber in which the conducting rod if fastened, the whole
was pi ecipituted to the bottom. Lawton remained in the tub 1
but when brought out, both men were dvidr. Lawton has Jen d
widow and one child,. and Long 'min titintl OW and throe ttAldteill
to bewail their loss; ~ .
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