The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-05-04 00:00:00

oluaderieg the POlie
•.

effectroit

Off.
'hid': 11;

very melancholy duty, in • this ph
sentence I am new about tolesal
number of persons convicted of ,
which sentence cud',/,' into ell%
most of them. 6.11 I do not perceitn.
• •
example Os keen attended :rah any -
that it has produced any diminution in the ohniuturit(
offenders of this decription ; you.. hive not _take"
warning from it; for I observe that yoir offense( are
all subsequent to the Last Assizes. It it, therefore,
necessary that 'Rumples should stilt coutinue to be
made; and_ it is my duty.to tell you that some
_pill
you, nay, that most 'of you, beyond all questiasi
must suffer the full sentence of the law.
• This Prisoner was so unwell, that be was obliged to be
sepported into Court, mid placed in a chair, tudil sentence was
pushed upon tabu.
+ The Primsuen thus marked were left for execution, and
suffered the Sentence of the law ou Saturday se'ouight, at Lau.
taster.

LAW I NTE L LIG ENC E.
COURT OF KING'S BENCH, MAT Q.
ABJURATION OATH.
While a young Gentleman, whose articles of
clerkship had expired, was taking the usual oath of
abjuration, denying " that darnnsble doctrine and
position, that Princes, escommunieated by the Pope,
may be deposed or murdered'! Ea, Ratite passed over
his countenance.
Mr. Justice BAYLEY, perceiving it, immediately
ordered that he should be rejected for the present,
and not be allowed to take the oaths necessary for his
admission until he produced an affidavit to his moral
and religious character.
THE LING V. THE REY. KR. EASTON AND EIGHT OTHERS.
This was an indictment against these Defendants
for a conspiracy to assemble aud disturb a congrega-
tion of Protestant Dissenters assembled for religious
worship, eta house duly licensed and certificated for
that purpose. There was a second count against the
Defendants for a riot. At the trial before Mr.
Justice Holroyd, at the last Assizes for Wiltshire,
the Defendants were severally naquitted upon the
count of conspiracy,but were found guilty of the riot.
Mr. Serjeant Put. now prayed the judgment of the
Court. From the report it appeared that the Rev.
Mr. Easton was perpetual curate of the parish of
Tisbury, in the county of Wilts. The Prosecutor,
the Rev. W. Hopkins, was a dissenting minister of
the Independeut persu .sion, and had a regularly li-
censed chapel in the adjoining parish of Ansted. A
short time previous to if)* month of December, 1816,
the Prosecutor had taken a small private house in the'
parish of Tisbury, shout 150 yards from the parish
church, in the occupation of a man named Butt, for
the purpose of celebrating divine womilip, dissemi-
nating the Gospel, and making converts to his per-
suasion ; and a certificate had he n obtained at the
Quarter-Sessions, licensing 'he house. On the 31st
of December, 1816, JP Prosecutor proposed col..
brating divine worship at Butt's house, in the even-
ing, and was proceeding to his destination, when he
was met by some of the Defendants, who assailed him
with hisses, groanicAs„, and other expressions of bus.
tilitv. He, however, proceeded to the house, and
commenced the service. In the mean time, a great
number of persons, amongst whom were ilie,Defet.d-
ants, assembled on the dancing green before the
house, and began to make 'the most violent noises,
I such as whistling, blessing cows' hunts, ringing
large sheep's bells, and hatlowieg, se that it was
impossible for him to proceed in his miaisterial dus v.
He frequently attempted to go on, but was so over-
whelmed with the noise without, as to frustrate all
Hu efforts. He sent out some of the congregation to
remonstrate with the Defendant., but in vain; the
noise was continued. The Rev. Mr. Easton was
seen among the rioters, and was heard to order the
mob three times to " play on," which they did ac-
cordingly. Another of the most active disturbers was
James Garrett, a substantial farmer, and constable
of the parish. The other seven Defendants were la-
bouring men in husbandry, and appeared to join in
the riot without any previous conceit or design. It
was sworn that a few days before this, Mr. Easton
spoke to Butt, and asked him when " that Metho-
dist fellow was going to preach i" To which the
answer was, that Mr. Hopkins was coming on the
Tuesday following to his (Butt's) house. The reply
of Mr. Easton was, " I hope I shall be able to make
an example of him this month ;" and Butt rejoined,
" I hope not." The Prosecutor having been driven
from the house by the disturbance created, left be.
tweets six and seven, and was afterwards hunted by
the like uoises to the confines of the parish. Un-
der these circumstances the case was presented to
the judgment of the Court.
Affidavits were put in on the part of the Defend-
ants in mitigation of punishment. From Mr. Easton's
affidavit, it appeared, that he had officiated in the
parish of Tisbury for a period of 30 years, to the sa-
tisfaction of all his parishioners, Churchmen as well
as Dissenters—that his income was only 801. a year,
end he had brought up a family of ten children by
those limited means—six of whom were stow de-
pendant upon him for support; and one had lost a
limb in the service of his country. Ile denied all pre-
meditation, or previous concert with assy of the other
Defendants, in the unfortunate transaction in which
he was Implicated ; and stated that, when be went to
the spot, he had not the slightest intentiou of dis-
turbing Mr. Hopkins or his congregation, and that
the expressions " play ep," did not fall from him
until he believed "that the service was. over. Since
this unfortunate ,affair. lie
,bad apptied .to the Pro.
secutors to know What concession woold-qatisti them
land the ends of justice; and the conchae*: they im-
posed upon him was the degratliug oue cit'iseeking an
apology in the public Papers. Upon the whole, be
expressed his sorrow for the part he had acted, and,
lano•nting his indiscreet conduct, he, threw himself
upon the forbearing consideration of the Court.
Affidavits were pot in as to his general character, sub-
scribed by Lord Arundel, the present and late Sea.
riff of %Vats, and a great malty most respegtahte Maol
gistrates and Gentlemen,
,who bore testimeey 4441
proper and becoming demeanour which b,wmelfell'm
his conduct in the parish, lo the satisfectben et every!
body, dosing a period ;0(,.30. years. ker thsk wthar
Defendants, affidavits .wve l*teise pot 41 of the
like tendency.
see to vise lerito.7.l rim t..-1 said
d last Mit t-13 t•t:.'cl,sti,

••Ogrirt,,A*.* *IA ft.,
Itielpieollishroent.
ing*lnljwasonsideration all the cirl
coif, ed peatisulecly_ANip, the
'e.„Tyr4. t itttkistltrpt fetioreri.
, ih.f° 'le !Ma .41"1ff4 Me
'pivf4ted' !Ifig t et tha Aseiges,
denier e. _, adjudged r., stou, sbqukd pay, ti
fine ot M. 'to the Ding, that James Garrett ineuld
'psi fine of 101., that the other Defendants; 14010 d
be fined IC each, ind that they should all epter is§
recOgnizances to hoof good behaviour for *ye INN
the twoformer Defendants in 1001. each, andllieweit,
in the sum of 401. each. The Court at the same
'time stated, that it was a part of its duty to protect.
:the Oroteitant Disinters In
,general, in tbitezercise
of theii religious Worship.

MAststoti-nouse.—Saturday, at this office, the
Proprietor of the Old Swan Tavern, Fish-street-hill,
preferred a charge of felony against two eminent iss-
dividuals, surgeons, of the following nature :—Tbe
Wife of 04 Prosecutor had, it appeared, upon retiru
log to rest, sprained or broken her leg. Herhus-
hand (who coefessedly had gone to bee in a state of
inebriety) immediately r-se, and obtained medical
assistance. Two Gentlemen, whose names we for-
bear mentioning, were called in, and one of them had
occasion to retire. During his absence, a pocket.
book, containing 1191. in notes, it was said, was
missed. • This fact was alleged by the Prosecutor,
but the Lord Mayor thinking his evidence insufficient,
sent one of the Marshals (Mr. Wontner) to the Old
Swan Tavern, where the Prosecutrix declared, on
It. r sick hed, that she hini placed the pocket-book,
containing the money as before stated, upon a chair
close to her bed-side, and that no other persons but
the surgeons had been in the room.
After an investigation of more than two hours, the
Defvndants were ordered to appear on.a future (lay;
but we learn that, at a late hour on Saturday night,
the money was found Ruder the patient's bed, so
that the further attendance of the Gentlemen at the
Mansion-house will he dispensed with.
GUILDHALL. Benjamin GootiNear and Mary
llarkku, who were charged on Monday last with
tendering a forged 51. Bank-note to Mr. Guest, a
pawnbroker, in Fleet-market, were brought op for
re-examination on Saturday, before Mr. Aldermen
JOSHUA JONATHAv SMITH, when Mr. Westwood, the
Solicitor to the !lank, attenstetl, and brought forward
an additional charge against the male Prisoner, Good-
year. It was for passing a forged 11. note to a grocer
in Buithill.row, named Hawes, in the month of March
last ; and the facts being fully substantiated, Mr.
Westwood called one of the Bank Inspectors to
prove the note a forgery, when the Magistrate ob-
served, that he thom4ht the hest evidence possible
ought to be produced, and.thiscould be done only
by toe Cashier who actually-signed the note.
Mr. WEST WOOD.-1 presume; Sir, you do not mean
'to ohjoet to that description of evidence with Which
the Judges are satisfied ?
MAGISTRATS.--WHy, since these people were
brought up lest. I have looked into several cases,
and I certainly do not find that the evidenCe of an
Inspector, on this point, has ever been decidedly oh.
jected to; but perhaps the thing has not been much
thought of. _ _ _

Mr. Fish then came forward, and was desired by
the Magistrate to look at the note, which he did, and
declared it to be a forgery.
MAGISTRATE.—What do you call yourself, Mr.
Fish ? One of the Inspectors of foiged notes in
the Bank of England.
How do you know that note to be a forgery ?—ft
purports to be signed by Mr. Staples, and 1 am.sure
it was not signed by him.
Mr. Staples is one of the cashiers I suppose ?—No :
he is one of the signers of small notes.
Why are you sure it is not written by Mr. Staples;
have you ever seen him write f— Very frequently.
The MAGIsTRATE then asked Mr. Westwood it
he wished the Prisoner Goodyear to be remanded for
further examination; for, as for the woman, he
thought there was nothing at all to detain her..
Mr. IVESTWOOD.-1 certainly do wish him to be
remanded, and for particular reasons, which it would
not be prudent fur me to state publicly; but I will
explain to you in private if you please.
The female Prisoner was then discharged, after
promising to appear when called upon; and at the,
request of Mr. Westwood, Goodyear was remanded.
lloW-sTaEET.—tiaturi!uy Major Ramsay, an officer,
of the South American Army, was brought up from
Covent-garden watch-house, and csamined before
Sir N. CONANT, on a charge of assaulting John
Lambe, Esq. and presenting a pair of loaded pistols
it him for the purpose of inciting him to fight a
duel, in the saloon of Covent-gartieu Theatre, :ani
Friday night last. x.
The Complainant stated, that between eleven and
twelve o'clock on Friday night, he was escorting a
Lady from one of the boxes of Covent-garden
Theatre, when the Prisoner came up to them and
addressed the Lady in a rude manner. Ile imme•
diately asked her if the,Prisoner wits any acquaint-
ance, and she answered iu the negative. Witness_
then desired him to. walk on, but be refused, and
insisted upon addressing tha Lady, at tbe.Mme time
making use of very threhening language., Witness
produced his card,, offering him any gentlemanly
satisfaction, provided he would desist, which seemed
to satisfy him for the moment; but as witness was
going down stairs, the Prisoner suddenly struck him
with a heavy stick and felled him to the ground, by
which several of his teeth were loosened. _The Pri-
soner kept beating him for some time eft ,be was
down, and then put his hand to his pocket and drew
out a pair of small, pocket pistols, one of which he
presented at witness, butiais he was going (as he
thought) to pull the trigger,. %%Roes, deshed,the pistol
.aside with his bona,. antl...peit up to the lobby in tbe
greatest terror imagineble. The company had nearly
all loft the Theatre at thet•time.
..,...Mr.. Churchill; one of 'die lios•keepers,.s lb.
;Theatre.- stated that ansTritfey night,wheselletittem- i
i ..
, piny had nearly left the hoos., he lietqd:ireStalle• on
4,114 b fraud staircase; fie. immediately went. to tins spot,
and saw.: the Prisoner verttsllpair of • pistols; Ole Vtfi,
Which 40 was vresentint 4.a4entlinau, "Ito itria.4
,the road,-
and did nos WKS it. Tile Yrimiettiedi
, • • r: .. .
!., .11 c,-, 4),;

bazill"tir;(,;;Dl i 40--Ptiiiii•Ang
,plilarriiiiin be in Cin:nt
,liiiiiirllttilre,
le AO Atsises, tha -Gllitictin aggraioi
lace, of passing 04 The Court takini
upon7you, luptin I nasal litlr, , 0 fir , .
r. ,:this offence, .an.an'Yeasichtiori his.d reis‘
ffett withcrespect.4 1 tnitilit*Ceillp,' wii,
rceive tholietio so Seigatilb. 'ilk Vrefiiiti
cm •gargintake, or 4effig:_!64,lo.kgeti