The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-12-10 00:00:00

NEW STREET

Notice was ordered to he given to the owners and occupiers,
that the commissioners intended to pave and sewer Cathcart-
street, with the view of adopting the same.

CLAIMS ON" THE..COMXIASIONERS

Mr. MALLABY said that Mr. Law had called upon him to
state, that Mr. Fairhurst was determined to put his security
into effect, unless the interest on the amount due to him was
paid. When it was considered that interest had not been
paid for a year and a ball, on the security which he held, it was
not surprising that he should be pressing for its payment.
He had also had a communication from the executors of the
late Mr. Hetherington, whose interest was in arrear, and
insisting on its being paid. If any funds were obtainable,
they should be appropriated to these purposes, otherwise pro-
ceedings would certainly be taken against the commissioners.
Mr. Prm asked whether a bond had not been ordered to
be taken for Mr. Fairburst's amount?

Mr. M ALLA.BY was understood to reply in the negative.
Mr. FRY said he had a strong recollection of a bond having
been ordered, and he should like to know why it had not
been executed.

A clerk in the office was called in, and he said the com-
missioners had ordered a bond to be prepared which Mr.
Fairhurst agreed to take, but it had not been executed.
Mr. MALLABY said he now recollected that a bond had
been ordered, and the draft of it was prepared, but from some
cause it had been overlooked.

After some further conversation, the applications of the
parties were referred to the Law-Clerk, to make the best
arrangement in his power.

THE CHURCH CLOCK

Mr. MALLABY said he had received a letter'addressed to
the chairman of the police commissioners by the Rev. Mr.
Knox, the incumbent of the church, stating that three years
ago Mr. Robt. Russell, in the name of the parish, requested
Mr. Price to give a clock for the use of the parish, to be
placed in the church-tower, and he did so on condition of
the parish keeping it in repair. Mr. Cunliffe, the maker,
undertook to keep it in repair for Xi a-year. lie (Mr. Knox)
paid him the first bill, and when it was sent before the com-
missioners they refused to pay it back. It was clearly un-
just, under all the circumstances, to put this expense upon
him year after year ;.and he now sent the account for three
years to the commissioners, trusting that they would give
an order upon their treasurer for its repayment. Mr. Mal-
laby concluded by saying, that he really thought, as the clock
was fur the use of the parish at large, the commissioners
ought to keep it in repair.
Mr. COLE remarked that it was heard all over the parish.
The CHAIRMAN asked the commissioners whether they
would like one put up in Mr: Baylee's church? _

. .
Mr. MALLABY said the clock had been put up at the ur-
gent request of the commissioners who got Mr. Russell to
write about it. . _

The CHAIRMAN enquired whether there were any resolu-
tions upon the books stating that fact ? if there were not,
the commissioners had nothing to do with it.
Mr. MALLABY.—We ought to have a town clock.
A COMMISSIONER.-But it ought to be upon the Town-
ball, if it is any where,
Mr. PIM.—Who paid for it?
Mr. MALLABY.—Mr. Price gave it to the town.
Mr. PlM.—Then it is our clock, and that is the only way
in which this charge can come to us.

Mr. MALLABY:—YOU never can get a clock put into any
public situation which will do the same good as this, because
you can never get such a large bell attached to it.
Mr. FRY said, he thought it a fair demand, and the dis-
charge of it ought not to be left to a private individual. He
would, therefore, move that it be be paid.
Mr. LAIRD seconded the motion.
Mr, Pm said the motion should recognise the clock as the
property of the parish.

• Mr. FRY acquiesced in the suggestion.
A COMMISSIONER asked whether Mr. Price could not
take the clock down ?

Mr. MALLABY did not think he could any more thiin he
could move the church. He did not think he had power the
either to take down the church or the clock. He had only a
right to the pew rents. The church was recognised as the
parish church in the act of parliament.
The resolution was then carried unanimously.
Some other business of a minor character was then dis-
posed of, and the proceedings terminated.

PUBLIC MEETING OF THE TRADESMEN'S
ASSISTANTS.

A public meeting of the Tradesmen's Assistants engaged
in all branches of trade was held last night at the Clarendon
Rooms, for the purpose of petitioning the Mayor, Aldermen,
and Council, to close the markets at six o'clock every eve-
ning except Saturday, and on that day at eight o'clock. Mr.
FLOWER presided. The first resolution, " That the petition
read by the chairman, addressed to the Mayor, Aldermen, and
Council of this borough, praying the early closing of the
markets, be adopted by this meeting, and that the committee
of the Association of Assistant Tradesmen be requested to
undertake the presentation thereof," was moved by Mr.
NODDER, who impressed upon the meeting the importance
of the early closing of the markets, in order that the trades-
men of the town may be enabled to comply with the petition
of their assistants for an abridgement of the hours of labour.
This resolution was seconded by Mr. CHARLES WILL-
HER, who expressed a hope that the council would take
their petition into their favourable consideration. He
said, he felt no doubt that they would do so, as the abso-
lute necessity of its being done, in order to carry out
the desire of closing the shops, at seven o'clock, would
appear to them self-evident. I he second resolution—
" That this meeting cannot but express its deep regret that
several wealthy tradesmen of this town, who had agreed to
close their shops at seven o'clock, should have already for-
feited their pledge, that the respect of the servants can only
be secured by the undeviating honour and good faith of their
masters; and this meeting earnestly desires that, whether
the petition agreed upon be granted or not, those gentlemen
will perceive that the good work of human improvement will
be forwarded by the fulfilment of their promise, and that the
hopes of the whole body of the assistants are put in
jeopardy by the course they have adopted"—was moved by
Mr. SMITH, in a neat and pithy speech. Mr. C. W. CON-
NOR seconded it in a speech of some length and eloquence.
He regretted that employers of respectability and influence
should regard with such tenacity the non-compliance of some
of the inferior class of tradesmen of not adhering to the regu-
lation of closing their shops at seven o'clock. He then con-
gratulated the meeting upon the sympathy of the public for
the condition of the assistants, as expressed through the me-
dium of the press generally, and particularly through the
columns of the STANDARD, Mercury, and Journal. The
following resolution was then moved by Mr.
BOURNES
That this meeting of the Tradesmen's Assistants again
appeals to the public of Liverpool for support in this plea-
sure, and earnestly and most respectfully exhorts all persons

to abstain from frequenting the shops after seven in the
evening, as the only means of rescuing a large class of their
fellow-creatures from a system destructive to their health,
dangerous to their morals, and subversive of the doctrines of
pure religion."

This Was seconded by W. B. Jones. in a most animated
address. He aaid that in many towns in England the shops
were already closed at the hour the assistants of this town
seek. He mentioned Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hull, York,
Chester, Huddersfield, and many others. Mr. Southworth
spoke in support of the resolution. The resolutions were all
carried unanimously.

THE MURDER AT ST. HELENS.

(From our own Correspondext)

Sr. HELENS, THURSDAY MORNING

The excitement produced in the town and neighbourhood
of St. Helens by this lamentable occurrence has not yet
much subsided, and it is still made the all-prevailing matter
of conversation and conjecture. The enormity of the offence
with which the whole district has been alarmed, is aggrava-
ted on the public mind by the yet apparent impossibility of
tracing the crime home to the hardened wretches who per-
petrated it. The coroner's jury have met, but the evidence
taken, impartially considered, merely gives rise to a vague
suspicion that those in custody are the assassins. How-
ever, in order to give time for the produCtion of further evi-
dence, the inquest has been adjourned until next Tuesday.
At ten o'clock on Tuesday morning last, John Heyes,
Esq., coroner, arrived at the Gerard's Arms Inn, Denton's
Green, where the body was lying. Here he was met by a
most respectable jury, consisting of the following gentlemen :
—Mr. Isaac Sharp, foreman, Mr. John Speakman, Mr. S.
W. Clough, Mr. Taylor Stainer, Mr. George Webster, Mr.
J. W. Glover, Mr. 0. Gregson, Mr. Wm. Hurst, Mr. John
Ansdell, Mr. James Finney, and Mr. R. Baxter.

The CORONER observed, that the jury had to inquire into
the facts of a most atrocious and inhuman murder, which
had been committed on the body of Henry Grayson ; and
they would be convinced that he had been most barbarously
used, because they must have perceived, on viewing it, that
the body was mutilated in a dreadful degree. Several par-
ties were in custody on suspicion, and it was the duty of the
jury to direct their attention► strictly to the evidence which
would be brought before them, and decide on that as to
whether any of those in custody were implicated,—taking
care they were not influenced or prejudiced by anything they
had heard out of doors.

Evidence was then adduced as to the finding of the body,
and as to the conduct of deceased on the previous evening;
but the particulars did not differ in any material respect from
those which we were able to furnish on Tuesday. We sub-
join the testimony of the surgeon and the police inspector :
Mr. John Blundell, surgeon, living in Tontine-street, St.
Helens, said he first saw the deceased on Sunday morning,
when lying in UnsWorth's barn. He was lying upon some
straw, and his clothes were very wet and muddy. His coat
arid the two waistcoats he had on were torn on the right side.
His smallclothes were torn near the right knee. His face
was covered with blood, also much swollen and disfigured.
The rigkt breeches-pocket was cut off, and the front part of
his breeches unbuttoned. The right eye was ruptured, and
part of the humour had escaped. When first he saw the
body of the deceased, it was very much distended, and in a
state of emphysema. He had made a post mortem examina-
tion of the body on Monday afternoon. There was a wound
on the forehead which penetrated through the scalp a little
above the nose, a contused wound through the scalp, and an
abrasion on the pericranium, to the extent of two inches by
an inch and a half, over the occipitol part of the left tempo-
ral bone ; but there was no fracture of the skull. On taking
off the clothes of the deceased, the body presented the ap-
pearance of having been very much abused. There were
several contusions on the anterior part of both hips ;
also contusions over the left side, and very extensive
ones over the right side and right shoulder. On dissecting
the integuments from the chest he found a considerable
quantity of extravasated blood in the cellular structures, cor-
responding with the bruises on the skin and the integuments.
He discovered severe dislocation of the right shoulder for-
ward, and the head of the bone was lying on the pectoral mus-
cle, and resting on two of the ribs which were fractured. He
thought the shoulder bone bad fractured the two ribs by the
force with which it was carried forward. On opening the
chest he found the lungs were collapsed, and there was a
lacerated wound on the inferior lobe of each lung. On the
right side the seventh, eighth, and ninth ribs were fractured,
and about three ounces of blood lying in the pleural cavity.
On the left side the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and
seventh ribs were fractured, and about four ounces of blood,
extravasated, in the left pleural cavity. He had not con-
sidered it necessary to open the head, as the injuries done to
the lungs were sufficient to cause death. The lungs were in
a state of collapse, owing to the air having escaped into the
pleural cavities, which would hinder the power of respiration,
In his opinion the wounds on the head were inflicted with
some blunt instrument, and the injuries to the ribs were pro-
duced either by pinching or jumping upon the body. It was
possible that a man might live two hours after the lungs were
punctured. If the deceased had been run over by a cart, the
wheel must have passed right over him. There was no ec-
chymosis on the chest, and there would have been if a cart
wheel had passed over him. Deceased was a stout muscu-
lar man for his age.

Serjeant John Branwood, No. 354 of the county constabu-
lary, said on Sunday morning, about seven o'clock, he came
up from St. Helens to Denton's Green, and found the de-
ceased lying in Unsworth's barn. After describing the situ-
ation in which he found deceased, he said his pockets were
all empty, except one of the coat pockets behind, in which
there was a small quantity of tobacco wrapped in paper. He
afterwards gave information to Mr. Superintendent Storey,
who accompanied him to the spot where the murdered man
was found, and they examined it. He afterwards went with
Mr. Storey to Rainford in his gig, and on returning they
heard that the deceased was Henry Grayson. They called
at deceased's house, and Mr. Storey went in to inquire if his
family were aware if the deceased bad anything in his pos-
session which might have been taken and here afterwards
identified. Witness remained in the gig, and shortly after
Mr. Storey had gone, he saw Thomas Meadowcroft and Isaac
Jacques coming round the corner of the barn. When they
neared him he saw that Meadowcroft's trousers were
dirty and bloody as he thought. He seized the men,
when Meadowcroft threatened to strike him if he did
not let them go. He called the superintendent to
his assistance, and they were secured. Jacques asked wit-
ness what he was taking them for, when Meadowcroft
replied, "Grayson lives here and I have neither murdered
nor robbed him." Witness and Mr. Storey had only shortly
before heard who the deceased was. Witness asked them
where they had been, and Meadowcroft said to Prescot Lane-
ends, at a publichouse. Meadowcroft was in liquor. Wit-
ness asked Meadowcroft what the spot on his breches was—
that he thought it resembled blood, but Meadowcroft said it
was off the moss, for they had come across the moss—Jacques
was going to have a brother married, and they were going to
meet him. On searching Meadowcroft, they found on him,
three sixpences, a pocket-knife, and a spike-nail. Witness
thought the pocket-knife had a blood spot upon it. Meadow-
croft made great resistance on being hand-cuffed, and witness
was obliged to get assistance. As they were bringing the
prisoner to the lockup, Meadowcroft kept saying " I have
neither murdered nor robbed Grayson." After this, witness
met police- serjeant Lloyd, who told him he had heard of these
parties having been drinking at a private house near the Seven
Stars, in Eccleston. They ascertained, then, that this private
house was kept by a woman named Ruth Bibby. They were
going up to the house when Bibby saw them and pushed to
the door, but they opened it. They found Robert Woods
(one of the prisoners) in it. Having taken him into custody,
witness searched the house. When he was up stairs, Bibby
followed him, and appeared as if very uneasy, lest he should
find something, but he discovered nothing particular. Woods
appeared dirty, and did not seem to have been in bed all night.
He told me he had been at the house of one John Parr all
night. A pair of shoes, the nails on which, corresponded.
with footmarks near the place of the murder, were taken off
Robert Woods, and were now in Mr. Storey's possession.
Thelpolice had been since to Parr's house, but it was locked
up and he was gone. As they were taking Woods to the
lockup, he asked if they had not taken Isaac Jacques up.
Witness went to Parr's house, where Woods and he had been
staying all night, but be (witness), got nothing but abuse
from him.

Mr. Superintendent Storey announced to the jury during
their sitting, that the friends of deceased were willing to
contribute £5O towards a reward to be offered for the ap-
prehension of the murderer.
St. Helens, Thursday Evening, Five o'clock.

No new particular in addition to the above has since
transpired here, and there as yet seems no probability of
magisterial investigation being speedily dispensed with.
Samuel Taylor and Charles Orrell, Esqrs. met at the Town-
hall this afternoon, when all the prisoners in custody, on
suspilion, were remanded on the application of Mr. Storey.
Captain Willis' of the county constabulary, was present.
The prisoners denied any implication in the murder, and
protested their innocence.

Communication has been made to Sir James Graham, the
Secretary of State, to inquire whether government will grant
a reward in addition to that to be given by the relatives, for
the detection of the assassin, but no answer has yet been re-
ceived.

The body of the deceased gentleman was removed from
the Gerard's Arms Inn on the day of the inquest, in a shell,
to his residence in Rainford, where it was received with
most heart-rending lamentations by his disconsolate and be-
reaved daughter. The interment took place on Wednesday
morning at Kirby.

-- -
OUR EXPORTS FOR 1811

The official returns of the exports for the year 1841 of our
chief staples will, it is said, by no means bear out the exag-
gerated tales of distress which have so long filled the columns
of our free trade contemporaries. That much suffering has
been and is felt in Lancashire and the other seats of the cot-
ton manufacture is undoubted ; but it will be satisfactory for
the public to know that the total amount of our leading ma-
nufactures, as yet exported in 1841, has, in comparison with
last year, somewhat increased. The following is stated to be
an approximation to what the public accounts for 1841 will,
when published, exhibit for the three quarters ending sth
October last, when compared with a similar period of 1840.
In cotton twist exported there has been, it is stated, a de-
crease during the first nine months of 1841 of nearly £60,000,
and in cotton goods the large falling off of about £1,000,000
sterling ; making a total decrease up to Oct. 1841, of
£1,060,000. But on the other hand there has been an in-
creased export of woollen and worsted goods, up to that
time, of £600,000, and an increase in all other manufactures
of i 1,100,000 ; constituting a total decrease: of £1,700,000.
Balancing then this decrease against the increase, there is an
amount of £640,000 sterling to be carried to the latter ac-
count; this, though a small sum in a national point of view,
is satisfactory evidence that except in the cotton trade, dis-
tress in the manufacturihg districts, though severe and pro-
tracted, has been exaggerated.
The falling off in the cotton goods exported is accounted
for chiefly by the markets of India, Australia, and South and
West America, having been greatly overstocked in 1840, and
by the restrictive state of the money market. The latter
cause has, too, prevented our shopkeepers at home from
keeping large stocks during the last year; and their present
low stocks, as well as the freedom from glut of the United
States market, and the ordinary demand from the north of
Europe, will, it is anticipated by practical men, re-infuse
greater activity into the cotton manufacture on the close of
the winter.-41ormny Herald. _ _

[We perfectly agree in the above views of our able con-
temporary, as well with respect to the causes of the decrease
of the demand for our manufactures in some foreign mar-
kets during the past year, as in the prospect—those causes
ceasing to operate—which is now before us. We may add,
however, with respect to the decline of one branch of our
manufactures—the manufacture of cotton cloths—that that
article has been very extensively superseded in many markets,
and more especially in the home markets, by the excellence
which we have now attained in the production of mixed fa-
brics of worsted or woollen and cotton. At the late Frank-
fort Fair these articles, of British manufacture, completely
threw every other material, and especially cotton goods, into
the shade ; and in the home market any observer may as-
certain the extensive demand for them which exists, whilst
printed calicoes and other purely cotton fabrics are entirely
neglected. The caprice of fashion has far more to do with
the depression of our cotton manufacture than our cotton-
spinning and weaving philosophers, and the public who echo
their complaints, are generally aware of.—E. L. S.]

REV. DR. WARDLAW.—We learn that the Rev. Dr.
Wardlaw, minister of the Independent Church, West George-
street, has sent in the demission of his charge, have found
the duties of, his congregation, along with certain works which
he has undertaken to write on religious subjects, to be. too
heavy for him in his declining years. Some difference existed
in the congregation as to the appointment of an assistant to
the rev. doctor previously to the giving in of the demission.—
Glasgow Courier.

DISCUSSION ON SOCIALISM BETWEEN MR.
BRINDLEY AND LLOYD JONES, THE SOCIAL-
IST MISSIONARY.--UTTER' ROUT OF THE
BLASPHEMERS !

During the present week the indefatigable Mr. Brindley
has been engaged in a discussion with the " pet missionary"
of this infamous system in the Queen's Theatre, which has
been nightly crowded, or we may say crammed, to the very
roof. The charge proposed to be shbstantiated by Mr.
Brindley was that " Socialism is a lying, swindling, fraudu-
lent scheme, which has robbed the working classes, and is
now robbing them, under false pretences ; and that it, in
theory, denounces all marriage and all religion, and denies
the existence of a personal intelligent God." The Rev. J.
R. Connor was the moderator chosen by the meeting ; and
the proceeds of admission, after deducting expenses, were to
be presented to the charities of the town.
During the first two nights Mr. Brindley, to the satisfac-
tion of by far the greater part of his audiences, indelibly
fastened the mark of lying and swindling upon the system;
and even compelled the missionary Jones to acknowledge his
having taken an oath of his belief in the Bible, whilst, at the
same time, an avowed Atheist. It will be remembered that,
under the title of Rev., which he attained by this perjury,
Mr. Jones attended at the anti-corn-law conference of mi-
nisters of ALL denominations in Manchester. On Wednes-
day night Mr. Brindley was equally successful in proving,
and that by living evidence too, that the system denounced
all marriage, not in theory alone, but in practice as well.
On Thursday (yesterday) evening, Mr. Brindley proceeded
to prove the infidelity of Socialism, and from the books of
Robert Owen, and the lips of the Socialist Jones himself,
completely established this position. After a brief summing
up, in the course of which the socialists present, by knocking
sticks on the bandies, and other noises, endeavoured to pre-
vent his being heard, the question was put to a show of
hands by the rev. chairman, and carried in favour of Mr.
Brindley by an overwlichning majority amidst deafening
cheers.

The Socialist missionary, Jones, with his friends, and
amongst them the well-known John Finch, immediately left
the platform, greeted on their course by the very unequivocally-
expressed disgust of the meeting ; and three cheers having
been given for Mr. Brindley, that gentleman proposed to it
to express its sense to the services of the rev. gentleman who
had filled the arduous office of moderator of the discussion
during the four nights' stormy proceedings. A round of en-
thusiastic cheering was the reply, after which Mr. Bonnor rose
and in a beautiful and feeling address which we regret that
at this late hour we cannot convey to our readers, returned
thanks to the audience who had placed him in the chair, and
supported him in it during the discussion. He had taken
the chair from a sense of duty—from"a sense of kindness to
the socialists themselves, who, he was confident, would be
benefitted by hearing the dark sophistries of their infidel
leaders discussed and exploded by the eloquence and argu-
ments of their friend Mr. Brindley. As for the unhappy
man whom they had heard that night glory in his shame,
and who had last night claimed him (Mr. Connor) as
a countrymann—as an Irishman—in the name of his
countrymen, in the name of Ireland, he renounced
him. They would have no socialism in Ireland—(a voice,
" nor in England")—they would have no socialism in Li-
verpool. He was proud of the spirit which he saw evinced
by the operatives around him. They would not be entrapped
by the cobwebs of socialism, or submit to have their pockets
sucked by the spiders which dwell amongst them. The ope-
ratives of Liverpool would cling to their Bible. He had seen
to-night that they were proud of their Bible ' • and for that
he thanked God and their Protestant Church of England.
He trusted that when they left this meeting they would leave
it in a spirit of seriousness, and before they retired to their
rest they would pray for the souls of the unhappy men who
had that night stood up before them to revile the Word of
God and his ordinances.

He could not allow them to separate without expressing
his feelings as to the deserving of the David who had come
forth to combat this dark system of error. Their friend Mr.
Brindley ought not to be left alone to sustain the expenses
of the fight; and he would briefly suggest that one hundred
of his operative friends would undertake to collect each their
10s., which would make £5O, and shew the example to the
merchants of the town, who ought to double that sum. He
proposed that one hundred of the protestant operatives
should call upon Mr. Crisp, who would give them cards each
to collect amongst their brother operatives, in the course of
Friday, Saturday, and all next week.
The reverend gentleman, after a few more remarks, (which
again we regret we cannot give,) proposed to close the meet-
ing with praise; and the Doxology having been sung, anti a
short prayer offered up, the meeting separated.
We learn that the gross receipts of the four nights were
.£95 ISs. Gd., which, after deducting the necessary expehses,
will leave a considerable sum for the charity.

Throughout the whole of the four nights' discussion the
tricky, and therefore dangerous character of the system was
well exemplified in the tactics resorted to by its advocate,
Jones. Ever shuffling and equivocating—flying off from the
point before him into all manlier of extraneous philosophy
which was likely to attract a popular audience—never meet-
ing a charge without first endeavouring to misrepresent its
nature or its wording—resorting to all kinds of personalities
and slanders—it was with the utmost difficulty that Mr.
Brindley could fasten the attention of his audiences to the
questions brought before them ; and we are satisfied that few
men indeed could have so perfectly succeeded as to attain the
triumphant result which tie did, in spite of the frantic efforts
of these wretched beings to obstruct the fair expression of
the sense of his hearers.

We cannot conclude this notice without expressing our ad-
miration of the talents which Mr. Brindley has devoted with-
out reward—(to the sacrifice of his other pursuits and to the,
serious injury, we fear, of his health itself)—to the exposure
of this infamous and destructive system. The Christian
world is under a deep debt of gratitude to him for his un-
wearied efforts; and we are satisfied will ungrudgingly award
him their hearty thanks, if indeed something more solid than
thanks should not be the return for so many sacrifices of
time, of money, of domestic comfort, and of severe mental
and bodily exertion, as those which have been cheerfully
made by Mr. Brindley in this cause.

It will be seen that the Rev. Mr. Connor, at the close of
the meeting pointed out a mode by which such a tribute
could be paid to him ; and in whidh we have no doubt our
operative friends will zealously co-operate. We would only
suggest, that there be no restriction as to the sum which
each should undertake to collect; but that every operative
who can raise anything, if only 6d., should offer his services
in so good a work. _ _ _

It will be seen by our advertising columns that Mr.
Brindley will deliver another lecture to-night in the same
place ; and, as we have heard that many of our female friends
have been kept from attending hitherto, we can assure them
that every convenience and protection will be afforded them
this evening.

COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH

.-TUESDAY

DAIMON v. ROSSER,

This was an action for a breach of promise of marriage,
which has been magnified into an undue degree of import-
ance from the paragraphs which have appeared in the news-
paperc from time to time. The declaration contained four
counts, alleging promises and breaches in July, 1837, Sep-
tember, 1837, in June, 1839, and April, 1840. The defend-
ant pleaded—first, that he did not promise ; and, next, that
he had invested the sums of £666, £366, and £215, in the
purchase of Government stocks, in satisfaction of the breaches
of promise, and that the plaintiff had received the same in
satisfaction thereof. Mr. Platt stated the case for the plain-
tiff, arid described in most ludicrous terms the letters and
advances of the defendant, who is a practising solicitor in
London, between seventy and eighty years of age, and wrote
about 700 letters during the time of his courtship, which
lasted between three and four years. The plaintiff, on the
contrary, was only a few years beyond her teens, and had
written also a considerable quantity of amorous epistles. Mr.
Thesiger addressed the jury for the defendant, and charac-
terised the conduct of the plaintiff as designing in the ex-
treme to entrap an old man into compliance with her wishes.
The jury, on hearing that the £666 were entirely under the
control of the plaintiff, found a verdict for the plaintiff—
Damages £l6OO.