The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-11-06 00:00:00

the atrocious acts of their fellowshir, willing, niters'
enough, though contrity to the apparent stamp of his
charlctet, to' be considered more as tlie delis of dieir
processes, • than the participator of their daises and
profits.
No unnecessary severity is practised upon the prisoners;
they are safely, but not' closely Confined ; they' are fairly
sad properly allowed that self-pos.session.free from iatrusiee
or affected by. severity. which their own ease at the present I
moment requires. The magistrates occasionally visit them,
the chaplain daily—not, as we bare heard; Intruding into
the judicial topics which are the peculiar province of the
former, but assiduous and ready to offer the consolations
of his office, whenever the parties, or any of them, shall
voluntarily call for their application. Some persons yester-
day, upon looking with too eager ioquisitiveneks Into the
place where Thurtell was walking for exercise, attracted
theprisoner's attention, and elicited this remark—" These
people (said he) think, because I am walking here in this
manner, that I am insensible or indifferent to my situation :
if they knew my feelingli, they would find, that so far from
having or encouraging such inseasibility, my whole
thoughts are absorbed In that situation, and engaged in the
arrangements for my defence."

PREROGATIVE COURT. --WamtasDAY.
-•••••••".-
LIOACT AGENT: IN RR JOSETII ADMT.
Soon after the sitting of the Court this morning, the
REGISTRAR stated that a petition bad been put into his hand
with a view of its being read to the Court.
Sir Jam Nicuott said the petition in question bad
been sent under cover to him, .as stet which was in itself
very irregular, and which he was much disposed to repre-
hend. He wished it to be understood; that the proper
mode would have been to ieaveeit with the Registrar of
the Court. He desired that the petition might be then

read.
The Rsairraan then stated that it was the petition of
Joseph Adey, one of tlie people called Quaker., who de-
scribed himself as a hatter, residing in Houndsditch. That
having applied to a Proctor of this Court for letters of
administration to the effects of one Mary Field, deceased,
petitioner vas answered that his application could not be
complied with, as die Court had made an order that no
letters should be granted to him until after he had made
application for die same in open Court. Petitioner was
at a .loss to account for this refusal, otherwise than that
prejudice had been raised against him by some pro-
reedings before the Lord Mayor connected with the case
in question, which proceedings had been since quashed.
For tome time, he went on to ray; be had applied himself
to finding out the ownets of unclaimed ditridends, by
ascertaining who wait the party best entitled to them, or
the next of kin theieof. That in so doing, be had inebtred
the of the clerks of the Bank, who had formed a
conspiracy against him; end bad prevailed upon one
Bridget Hough to swear that be bad defrauded her by
making her -believe she was best entitled to the effects of
the said Mary Field, deceased, a fact in itself false; fur he
(the deponent) did believe, sod still believed, that she and
her uncle, Philip Bough, were entitled to the administration
of the said effects. That, in confirmation of this belief, he
had advanced 1101. to the party making the claim; but that
the South Sea Comp my, in whose hands the property wee,'
had refused to band it over. Another circumstance which
he believed weighed against rim ea., he bad charged
M. for managing a property of 420/., which was said to
be extortion. but which deponent alleged did not exceed
the usual charges, as the cost of the administration was
known to he 171., and that of a ponce of Attorney :If. That
the probability of the party claiming being the best entitled,
arose from the circumstance of all the claimants being
cousins of the deceased, which proved that there were no
nearer relations living, or they would have put in their
claims also. He admitted that he lied taken oat 35
'administrations, all of which he paid off and discharged.
The conclusion contained evidence to the petitioner's
character; he alleged that lie could produce persons to
hls character for a number of years; that lie had resided in
the same house for twenty years, and he prayed the Court
to grant the administration in question upon Wednesday
next, when he would attend for the purpose.
Sir JOHN NICHOL asked if the petitioner who was present,
bad any thing to add to his petition.
Mr. Adey replied in the negative.
Sir J. NICHOLL.—It has been correctly stated, that the
Court ordered that no letters of administration should be
granted to Mr. Adey until they had been moved for in Court,
or a special application made to tbe Court for that purpose.
But it is not true that such an order was founded upon, sir
had reference .to any proceedings against the petitioner
before the Lord Mayor ; but was in consequence of a
complaint from a person in the North of Ireland, who
stated that Hr. Adey had taken out administration to pro-
perty, in which that person was concerned, but of which be
had since beard no further account. The Court had
felt itself called upon to institute an enquiry, in conse-
quence of the complaint, and the result has been, that
they found Mr. Adey had been taking out several admi-
nistrations, and besides the evidence officially before them.
bad information to the same effect from other quarters.—
They had, therefore, thought proper to put a stop to these
proceedings, for Mr. Adey appeared to be trading in admi-
nistrations, and that he had set up business avowedly to
get money for persons without any, the most distant)
connection with, or knowledge of, the effects in litiga-
tion, or the parties claiming them. It was in fact, a speco-
lotion to get as much money as he could, and to make out
persons who might have claims to it. I f any doubt remained
of that fact, it was removed by the petitioner's own ad-
mission, that be had taken out no less than thirty•five
administrations for strange parties. Now it was known
that administration by power of Attorney could be
granted only where the parties claiming lived out of
the province and even then it was necessary by a com-
mission to ascertain some certain data upon which the
Court could proceed. Here the parties lived without the
province of Canterbury. but what evidence was there of
their existence, or their claims, except the power of at-
torney executed to the petitioner in this case ? This is not
one of those cases of sudden death, in which testamentary
evidence might with difficulty be got at, but for any thing
that appeared, every fact could be spoken to by proper
witnesses. Here then comes a man forward to speak to
facts which cannot possibly be within his knowledge!
He comes here and swears—or rather affirms, for this person
is a Quaker—th4t " A.B. is dead, and C. D.,or some cousin
or cousin german, have claims upon his property," but upon
what ground any persons ran dare to apply to this Court
by swearing to a fact of which lie has no knowledge, I am
at a loss to conceive. It is not concealed that the property
with which this person has been connecting himself is the
unclaimed dividends at the Batik, and the manner io which
these claims have been fur some time managed is become a
serious public grievame. Ile, or some others—for it
appears he lia4 now many competitors—put advertise-
trolls in the papers inviting persons to call upon them at
a erttain ti lien " they will hear something to their
advantage." I can hr.,- tesiiinony lion) my on n experience
to the mischiefs which airs syste:ii produces. 1V14,-n I was
in the country, it was stated to me, that several persons had
received boos thee, to four letters for which they had
invariably to pay postage, arid the answers to which were
to he post phi. Thus I saw myself several poor people
..ho had been tortured in this way, obliged to pay live or
six shillings for postage, their hopes wantonly excited, and
their minas made a prey of despair. The practice has, in
Iran, become a matter of serious public grievance, and
cannot be solfered in eohlim4l., Boit I ollg lit to say, that
it was not upon this grotind I hod insole the order io
gnrs-
lfon, fur at that time I had not heard the circum.stances.
They have, however, confirmed me in the resolution of
not granting this administration to 31r. Ailey, mar.- par-
ticularix when l have ouly his ips, ga.rit that C; ix. had

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