The Statesman.
London, England, 1819-12-23 00:00:00

TILE MARLBOROUGH GOLD PLATE.

TOE CARL OP RiIIItTCSRURY AND °awns e. TUIPtIOOK.
On this a very lone disrussion took place hew ween
Mr. Su Imvzt.t. 21141 Mr. 11"aitress:1.n. TriphooL's
answer was read, in which lie charged the Duhe
having anthorised him to pledge the plate for live years,
for which he (the Duke) would pay per cent. ; and if
he could not redeem it, it might he sold, as he mull get
fac simile articles of the same kind made. The property
sold was 23 gold plates, as many Kul I knives, forks, and
spoons, all of which were melted into three gold ingots,'
in April last, and divers sums ef snide money paid to the,
Duke, who had said the articles might he put into the,
crucible, as money he must have and c.oold have.
To give Mr. Tripl s k an orporiutti!y of sweating
how much he gut fur the plate, the ease s:ood over fur a
few days.
The Court was never more crowded than it was to-day. I

--me--
COURT OF KING'S GeII.OIIALL, DEc.

\?I.lTtnN. SP.ILL r. MASKETT.

Mr. ReADIR opened this ease. The pleailincs averred,
that the plaintiff, being an honest and industrimis per-
son, occupying a hawse in Cavendish-court, I tevonshire-
street, City. and Mein; a retail nine-dealer there, the de-
fendant, with a view of injuring his fair fame, placed two
men before his door with lanterns, anal a placard. inn-
ing all persons to "beware of a bat house," i hieli Lail
the effect of ruining Lis business. To this the defendant
pleaded Not Ouilty ; anal secondly, jnstificallon.
Mr. SesitLlTT commented, in strong terms, no this
conduct of the defenlant, awl lint e.l, when he put him-
self in a condition to claim their verdict, that the Jgre
would look upon it as a wanton and unwarrantable at-
tack upon the character anal property of his client. lie
observed, that he had paid upwards of 3150/. for this
house, anal it was now quite useless to him, in rouse-
gamier of the prejudice raised against it hr the men
standing before the dour. If it really hail 'wen a bad
house, this was not the way to suppress it, fur the de-
fendant should proceed by indictment at the Quarter
Sessions. Ile would ask, what the conselinences would
be if any individual had thus the poster of gratifying
private malignity by 'missing the house of his neigh-
bour. He was sure the Jury would never countenance
such law ; and he would now call his witnesses to prove
the &at, anal to bring home to the defendant the cliarie
of being the principal agent in it.
Martha Dutton saw the two men with a boar:l and
lanthorn standing before the plaiutitrs do .r. They re-
mained there all day and night. She did not know what
the plaintiff s business was, but " Foreign Wines" was
written over the door.
Frances Shannon, the plaintiff's tenant in the other
house in the court, swore, that there was a hoard also
placed before her house. which was continued there for
six months that she lived there. The name of one of the
men she understood to be Smith.
A Clerk from the Excise-Office proved that the plain-
tiff hail a wine merchant's licence. This did not *unto-
rise him to sell wine in the loose, however. 1
Anne Marwick went at SpaWs desire to reason with the
defendant about moving the boards, but he would not
listen to her. Spall was a wine dealer, but she saw nu
business doing there.
Robert Jefferies said be hail often drank wine at the
hinge. The men on gnarl tried to prevent him, but with-
oat effect. He saw nothing improper doing there. On his
cross-examination he said that lie was a potatoo dealer
is Fleet-lane, ()Id Bailey.
Michael East, a convector of pone'-rates, was often
at the house, and bad no reason to think it was au im
proper one.
.
!Wee other witnesses swore to the mum effesb—lisir
plaintiff's cause closed here.
Mr. li . sow contended that the action should
fail, as it was not proved that the plaintiff had been sell-
ing ale and beer by a licence of the Magistrates, ander
the tbi of (leo. 111.. e. 59. see. 9.
The Court. however, overrale,l the objection, on the
ground that it was sot necessary to the cause to support
the avenues, in the declaration. that be was a wine-
seller. If the plaintiff proved that the fame of his
house was destroyed by this libel, be sustained his
active.
Mr. (iraxse thee said, that he would show that the
I house had bees soteelessly one of ill fame in the me-
! nary of the oldest perms in the Ward. With regard to
, indictment, as so Odellflakt owner could be foesd, there
could be so evidence collected to support It. If this
perms had really bees a dealer in wines, why was
set his wise merchant brought forward ? Ile was pre-
pared to show, by the evidence of reclaimed females
themselves, who had bees seduced there, that this is-
fassoas commerce was actually carrying on there) wheel
be did that, be defied the plaintiff to give as auswec
to It.
Mr. R. Pester, the hanker, knew the h
ties, 91.. 1, Caveodish-eorrt ; the house iall2ratl
the corner, nest the Quaker's Meetinboost, als4 op,
iota the court ; he frequently passed through thus m%
sod always saw the outward door open.
Edward Wight was is the habit of Om through
the court three times every day, and observed the prat-
tletatstrirolnk nu in this bogie ; they had, however, ceased
la y, threigh the exertions of the Police.
, W. lobillips, a watchman; who watched it he three