The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-03-12 00:00:00

ESSEX LENT ASSIZES—CusLmmao, MACV 11.

The Lent Assizei for this Cottuty commenced bete 1
to-day before the Lord Chief Baron on the Crown side,
and Mr. Baron Graham on the Civil Side. In both
Courts the business is very light, compared with the
former Assizes, there being only 49 cases in the gaol -ca-
lendar, and 13 entries in the cause paper.

CIVIL SIM
Before the Hon. Mr. Baron GRAHAM.

SEDUCTION--ROYCE V. POLLEY.
This was an action against the Defendant for dte-,
benching the Plaintiff's daughter, whereby he lost her'
services.
Mr. Sergeant Teddy and Mr. Walford conducted the
plaintiff's case, and Mr. blarryatt and Mr. Knox the de-
fendants..
The case opened was, that the plaintiff nas a miller, at
Great Totham, In this county, and also kept a public-
house. The defendant, a man upwards of 40 yea's of
age, was also a miller in the same village, and a neigh-
bour of the plaintiff, and was in the habit of drinking at
his public-house, in which Mies Lucy Royce, a young
woman of 17, assisted her father as a servant, and at-
tended in the bar. About two years sincelha defendant
beeame.actinainted with Miss Royce. In order to effect
his base purposes he prevailed upon her to visit hint at
the cottage of a woman named Smith, a tenant of his.—
The lame r, it was said, had lent herself to the ruin of the
girl by going out of the way, leaving the parries togs-.
'ether. About Michaelmas, le dl, the defendant accom-
plished the ruin of the unhappy girl at this cottage ; the
consequence was, that at Michaelmas following, she be-
came the mother of an infant For the loss of services
thus occasioned to the plaintiff, and the expenses during
the illness of the young woman, this action was
brought.
Miss Lucy Royce, a girl of interesting appearance
and considerable beauty, deposed that she became ac-
quainted with the defendant in consequence of his coming
to her father's public house todrink. The defendant lived
about a quarter of a mile from her father's dwelling. A wo-
man named Smith occupied a cottage of the defendant
Witness used to go frequently of an evening to visit her
sister, who married a Mr. Gentry. In her way home she
had to call at Mrs. Smith's cottage, where she often met
the defendant. Mrs. Smith used to leave them alone
when the defendant came io. An intimacy was formed,
and about Michaelmas, 1'321., the defendant effected ber
ruin. She continued to meet hint at Mrs. Smith's from
that time until June last year, daring which time the im-
proper intimacy was continued. in Sept. last she became
a mother.
On her cross-examination she admitted that in the
room where she met the defendant there was nu bed or
sofa; but there was a carpet. She denied that she knew
Benj. Gentry, brother to her sisters's husband, as well as
the defendant. No improper intercourse had ever taken
place betwten them.
Mr. Brown, a farmer at Great Totham. proved that the
defendant was a man upwards of 40. He owned a mill,
and was in pretty good circumstances.
This was the case for the plaintiff.
The defence opened was, that there hid been no seduc-
tion on the part of the defendant ; that it was even a I
doubtful matter whether lie was the father of the child,
inasmuch as the young lady had been familiar with other
men before the cr,nnection was formed with the defend-
ant. According to the case proved for the plaintiff, it
n'as urged:that norniral damages would satisfy the jus-
tice of tho ease, considering the easy manner in which
his daighter had become the defendant's prey. If the
Jury had reason to think that the defendant was not the
father of the child, it was clear that this action would nut
lie. It Was proposed to show that as early as twelve
years old, the piing lady's mind had been imbued
with vicious notions from the company she oat in the
habit theefidg in the tap-room of her father's public-
house.
Mr: Benj. Gentry, deposer], that his • brother had mar-
ried Miss Royce's sister. About two years since he was
in the habit of meeting Miss at his brother's house. She
was then about fifteen years of age. They 'heel:me
very intimate. A criminal intercourse took place be-
tween them in the kitchen. lie broke off the connec-
tion with her in consequence of her having taken up with
other men.
Mrs. S. Smith, servant to the defendant, proved that the
defend, it and Miss Royce used often to meet each other
at her house.
'Phis was the case for the defendant.
Mr. Sergeant 'FADDY replied on the part of the plain-
tiff. and urged that the defence set up was wholly impro-
bable, and that- the statement of Mr. Gentry was so in-
famous as to be totally unworthy of credit. He in-
sisted that the conduct of the defendant, in thus at-
tempting to attack the character of the young woman,
whose ruin he had effected, was a consideiabie aggrava•
ion of damages.
Mr. Baron Grrattast summed np the case for the Jury.
The JurY found their verdict for the plaintiff—Vantages
[OK •

SCOICH POLICE.

Though we have a very high idea of the sobriety and
good order of our northern neighbours, of which Ke
hear a great deal from witnesses be4t acquainted with time I
facts (their (ion countrymen), the following Police Re-
port, which we copy from the Glaa7oin Chronicle, re-
ceived this Jay, still show that even Scotch men are not
exempt from all the frailties of our common nature. The
population of the city in which these 1,303 cases occur
in a month, is about 150,000; every Scotchman, however,
will remark, that there are many Irishmen in Glasgow.
List of persons convened before the sitting Magistrate
officiating in the Police Court, for four Weeks, co:n-
niencing on the 30th day of January, anti ending on
the 27th of February, 1523;-119 for assault; 109 for
being drunk and illsorierly in the street and in houses;
44 for molesting Policemen on duty; 95 for suspicion of
theft; 5 for reset of theft ; S for contraveing sentence of
banishment ; 1 for issuing hese money ; 30 fur keeping
disorderly houses; 6 for entertaining people on Sunday'
during divine service, in taprooms; 35 for incutnbering
the streets with articles for sale, and with burley ; 22 for
contravening the carter's act; 35 for having coals defi-
cient in weight, and using false tickets anti tares; 42
sent to the Chamber for prosecution • 4 sent to the She-
riff fur auto •' 2 sent to Justices of die Peace fur ditto ;2
arm to time 117ater Ilaillie ; '206 prostitutes ; 117 beggars ;
7 suspicions characters following no lawful employment ;
• 2 for beating carpets in courts and on the streets ; 29 for
not cleaning closcs; 15 for not cleaning pavements ; I for
wheeling dung to the street after eleven o'clock a. in.; 19
for throwinix filth and water over windows; 17 for foul
vents ; I for breaking public limos ; 6 for having porta-
ble lamps not lighted ; 2 for having swine going at
Image; 4 for embezzling webs ; 6 for dogs biting per-
sons,-and lighting d.,gs mum the s•reet : 1 for dirt} in; the
streetiewith overloaded farts; I fur firing guns tau the
streets an-I in eliureli-yards ; 6 found destitute on the
street ; 1 fur driving cattle through the streets on Sun-
day; 2 for refusing to pay pro. onion of expense of
cleaning pavetnetits; 2 for exposing a child; 1 for de-
serting a child; 1 for einliezzling leather;—total, 1,303.