The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-12-11 00:00:00

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LAW INTELLIGENCE.

DANK rOlialkitlits.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE STATESMAN.
Sin,-1 Pella stilth emotions of delight, similar to
those which you hare so honourably espreisert, thi
acquittals of Williams and Connor for siterieoone
pa.und notes, on Saturday last. The anguish of victe
larva humanity, which I, in Common with every eiii
lightened friend of our sileßes;hate so lent endured
oil this subjert, is at length trirnticeted. I can, in.
decd, conceive nothing more degrease and disgraceful
to civilised society, than the why In which we have
been for some time past tempting the destitute, the
.04E4, the rejected part of the community, to the
rommission of this easy crime, and then stringing
them op by throes and by Ages, ■ public imbibition
of the agonies of death, in the centre of the Metro-
rolis of the British Empire.
The sth day of this instant, December, 1818, is
indeed a prousl day for London, and will, I hope, be
gratefully remembered by a distant posterity ! I wish
Ton could obtain for us the mimes of those firm and
generous Jurors to whom we are indebted fur this in-
estimable benefit. I am sore they deserve to be held
in remembrance for ever ! In the midst of a great
commercial city, where it has been held indispensible
to fence round the vast accumulation of her trailick
with the most sanguinary laws, it is indeed a refresh.
hag spectacle, to see a London Jury displaying this
manly humanity. This is a thing that could happtili
-nowhere but in England; . scarcely any where• hut
within the walls of this city. The plain good sense
and uticorrupted feelings of her inhabitants are alone '
• strong enough to pot downell thesophisticated lessons
and the long-nursed prejudices of her Judges and her
Lawyers. It is from hence only that our improve.
• meats must come. We may look for ever in vain to
lea our public functionaries abrogate the abuses they
are appointed to administer. From the level floor of
• ordinary life shall come forth the tire that shall de-
. 'tor every thing that &gracile society, and poisons
. et the very heart the intercourse' of life.
But it was not the desire to vent my congratula-
tions that put the pen into my hand.. Every pulse
that beats in the natural man, must have (lneed in
.harmony with what you and I Mt on this occasion,
and every honest spirit must hive been conscious to
more than I can find words lo express. It is another
occasion that has given birth to this letter.
Your Paper of Monday communicated to me the
-happy intelligence of which I am speaking. Your
Paper of Tuesday infarms me, that the Recorder has
taken the first business-day (December 7) succeeding
these convictions, to make his Report of convicts
under sentence of death, and that John Driscoll,
William Weller, and George Cashman, persons con.
:eicted same time ago on the same charge that was
:tried on Saturday, are marked for execution on the
35th.
Can these things be? What is the spirit or sense
'.ttbis proceeding? Is it for example? No : Mr.
Bos‘ogeet, Commie! for the Batik of England, an.
's'hut'tled yesterday in open Court, that "in come-
t titmice of•the proceedings which had taken place, he
410clitved further to prosecute the prisoner then placed
at the bar ;" and it is added that " no other similar
prosPcutions will take place daring the present Sas-
)llioos."
• ..IWhet then ; are these young men to be sacrificed
-,a4-Nat lamb of an annihilated aa*, as Achilles slew
certain young Trojan prisoner at the funeral pile of
his friend ? This cannot be example—example re.
-late' to the future ; and the future, so far as relates
to this question, is pure, inuncent, and white—it is
revenge ! Our mighty mistress, the Bank, is furiously
enraged to hind that the good sense of the Citizens of
London has denied to tier her future prey, and these
three lives are to be sacrificed to appease the tumults
•of her wrath. The language of such a scene is to ex-
hibit to us, `s what our superiors would do, if they
-cuuld
- The object of the melancholy and heart-revolting
scenes exhibited before the Debtor's door of New
gate, is awfully to impress the age with the operation
of the iron hand of JUSTICE. If the good sense of
the sober part of the community does not bow in
awe-struck acquiescence with what is there performed',
the whole is infiuitely worse than tiugetcry. Does
the Bank of England, does the Recorder, or do the
-Ministers of the Prince Regent think, that there will
be one man that will stand round the dreadful split
on Tuesday nest, that will Wok on with any other
sentiments then those of loathing and detestation fur
the authors of the scenes, and the deepest sympathy
for the unhappy young men, whose misfortune is,
that they were pot oil their trial two months too
soon ?—and therefore they most die ! Dn they think
that from one end of this vast Metropolis to the other,
there can be any different feeling in one disinterestetil
member of the community, if indeed it is possible.to
persist in thedecree thus promulgated. Mr. Pitt Was
the first man that made it High Treason to bring the
4Goiernment of the country " into hatred and con-
tempt." i impeach the Bank of England, the Re-
; corder, end the Ministers of the Prince Regent, of
that crime on the present occasion.
1 cannot bet think, Mr. Editor, while I am writ.
that the pains I take are useless, and that it is
impossible that that thing should happen, which, foe
. the sake of every thing that is honourable, and every
thing that is sacred, lam anxious to depredate. But
I cannot tryst the event to aecidetit. It is necessary at
Least that I should discharge my conscience, and
that I should know I have performed the part of an
EiiAlishinan. As far as depends on me, no tragic and
sanguinary mistake shall be made by our rulers for
want of a distinct warning.

CIVIS.

VICF:-CRANCELLOR'S COURT, Drc.lo.

VII; RECTORIAL TITHES OF TOE PARISLI OF
sr. DUNR"I'Asi-IN.Titc-wi;sr.
attorr:4 ARKAM•
His Honour the VICE-CHANCELLOR came into
Court at ten o'clock, and said, " I hale been
looking into this case, and I base no doubt but 1 can
mike a decree against the Vicar, but I Cannel against
the Rector that world bind, him without I direct to
issue to a Court of Law, for the Rector has a com•
mon law fight, and the Vicar has not, as he holds
his title by endowment. I, however, think the
ecior has no right to call on me to hear this cause
vivre I direct the issue's and tay opiiikm should

be amino bim, he is entitied-t) nli psime for the
Air efrahti(iznidol tee this
Paper Of yeatetday)
slang,. leading °sante for the Vie* of the
pasials 'ben comtneaced to state docnmentaVy erldence
ifvom the time of the Feign of Richard Ila.leAkeep-
pointrnent of ihe present Vicar, the Rer. Richard
'1'1164, for
Lye, In the year the parrs. or s .11 ow-
iniettfiUdtaliflaite was:ol;o,lrd to vecto
rinittlithhhrofilie patith of iit.• Dunstan. The Learn.
eil Coansel-did not conclude his statement until half-
fast ,twn.o'clock.
'The Vieg-Cuawcit.Lon.—" Are you ready, Mr.
itelhertifi, now' to proceed eltb the Rector's case. or
will yriii rake eh isiue; foi.l will not allow Mr.
Rtsil and Mr. Sirpheir to folio* Mullett Until ['bane
first heard you ?"
Mr.Wavnanct.r..—" I am perfectly ready'to Mate
my Client's case, but I think it will be more ma k..
factory to all the parties to have an issue direcsertr
The Vieic-CiiancELLon.—" The issue then
direct to be tried is, whetbei the Vicar is eiatiecitiiii
the tithes of the perish ? 'lle Vicar must he the Plain-
tiff, as he claiuss exception to the common law right."

COURT OF KING'S BENCH, Dtc. 10.
sYdrt v. 11111111.

This was enaction against the Defendant,Tor icon&
ing a patent granted to the Plaintiff fur she amis.
IF. it.
lion of an improved gunpowder Bask.
The defence set up
.was, that the itivetifion of
Plaintiff was not new, bet on the orttivary- was
founded upon principles long known to persona en.
gaged in the trade. Evidence vvas offered in support
of this defence, and in the result the Plaintiff was
nonstsitea.

THE RING V. WIIEELER.
This was a scire facia:, to recall certain letters
patent granted to the Defendant, for the invention of
an itoprnved method of drying and preparing malt to
be used in the colouring of porter, and other liquors
of that kind. The prosecution was carried on at the
instance of a Mr. Matins.
Before any evidence was offered in support of the
prosecution, the Learned Judge was of opinion. in
point of law, that the specification in the Defendant's
patent was defective in several particulars, and there-
fore directed a verdict for the Crown, which was ac-
cordingly found by the Jury.
Mr. Gurney and Mr. Tindal were for the prose-
cution ; end Mr. Starlets, Mr. Harrison, and Mr.
Conn, were for the defence.

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