The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-02-18 00:00:00

THE STATFAMAN.

all the meetings with Bytes were before his arrest, but he
had very little doubt that they were. Witness bail seen
him at liberty after the commission issued against hits',
but be thought these admissions were made before the
arrest, though no precise balance was then struck. Wit-
ness never learned from Latham and Parry, that they hat
receiver! from Bytes, a commission of one per cent. upon
their advances, besides the legal interest. IVitness only
knew their business by Byles's books, which wet.. in
Court. His bookkeeper was dead ;be had been examine
in the action in the King's Bench. All the bills now
shown to witness were in the handwriting of Pyles,
either as acceptor or endorser. lie did not hear Bytes
say that the bill for 10,0001., had been given without
consideration.
James Lowe said that he had found all the hills, ex-
cept that for 10,0001, in the desk of Latham and Parry.
That Bill was given to witness by Mr. De Tastet Byles,
before his arrest, came to witness's office, and requested
time for payment of the debt due on these bills, for which
the witness was employed to arrest him. He wished to
carry on his contract himself.
Cioss-examined.—He was arrested in February at the
snit of De Tastet and Sotilla, the assignees of. Latham
and Parry. Witness bad a balance struck *Per Byles's
bankruptcy, to make out the particulars of plaintiff s de-
mand. Ryles said that his debt to Latham and Parry
had arisen on advises made by them to him. He did rut
state that they were to receive one per cent. on the sup-
plies furnished under the contracts with Government, be-
sides 5 per cent. interest. When Bytes came to
witness to get time, he expressed a wish that if he were
arrested he might he able to carry on his contracts.
That was the plaintiffs' case.
Mr. Sergeant Laws, for the defendants, informed the
jury that he should be able to clearly prove that the al-
leged debt in quest'on was usurioosly contracted, and
therefore illegal ; and there being no legal debt in
ekistence, issue must be determined in the negative.
Robert Levie stated that he was a merchant, and bad
been connected in business with Belcher Byles, who WAS
engaged by Government to supply Hoar and rice for the
West Indies. This connexion lasted from 1807, to 31st
of March, 1812, after which it ceased as a partnership
but he continued to supply Byles with money; and at the
end of the year, Bytes owed lam a debt of 20,00411. on
on these supplies: he then declined to make farther ad-
vances. In consequence of this, Bytes applied to Latham
and Parry to make advances, and he (Byles) told wit-
ness, in Parry's presence, that Latham and Parry bad!
unoertaken to supply the advances. Witness shortly af-
terwards saw Parry, and asked him whether he stood in
witness's shoes ? Parry said he did, and adoed that be
was to receive 5/. per cent on the advances, and one per
few., on the vlettialling bills, which were issued on the
delivery of the supplies under the contract. Nothing
was said about profit and loss. Latham and Parry made
suck advaucea as Byles required. He never heard any
thing more about the terms of the engagement after the
first conversation. Parry subsequently told hint that he
hail received the victualling bills. He never heard the
amount of the advances. The first conversation
Parry about the contracts was in the beginning of Octo-
ber, 1812. When witness ceased to be a partner, Bytes
agreed to give him 5/. per cent. on the advances then
doe, and one per cent. on giving up his interest in the
contracts.
Cross examined—Witness's debt has been disputed like
this; but it has been established. The one per cent. did
not relate to the advances, but to the victual] mg bills.
Byles was a ship owner, and underwriter, as wrll..s a con-
tractor. Between Starch .and October, 1`412, the com-
mission on the victualling bills amounted, in witness's
belief, to. Dead/ 14190/. In the course of the 3 years, his
advanCeslAW;raussontef toseural haylical
pounds. He could not say if Bytes always employed the
mosey advanced in the contracts; he might bare employed
it in other business, but witness never made an advance
for any other purpose than the contracts.
off,ring an account in evidence, which, it be-
ing objected to on the other side, tl.c I.arneti Judge
declined to receive; the defendants Counsel closed their
rase.
Mr. Sergeant 'Patio' AN then replied, and
The ',earned Judge charged the Jury, who, if.er'a few
minutes' deliberation, found a verdict for the plaintiffs fur
25,000/.

:MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.

These gelL6ollll commenced yesterday, at the Sessions ;
House, Clerkenwell, before Francis (,oast, Esq. and a
full Bench of Magistrates.
The Chairman observed, that the Court was likely to
be occupied but a short time, there thing but few cases,
and not .ine of any enormity.
Georre Lord, a stage coach driver, was indicted for
assaulting James Holmes, another coach driver.
Mr. ArroLreva stated the case for the prosecution,
from which it appeared, that the parties were drivets of
opposition coaches on the &field road, and the precept
assault was an instance of the many disgraceful occur-
rences of this kind which so frequently took place be-
tween rival drivers. On the 1511. of December last, II
the prosecutor took up a passenger near the Waltham
Turnpike, whom the defendant considered himself enti-
tled to, and in consequence horse-whipped the prose-
tutor very ly. Guilty—Fined 20s.
Santee! Jacobs was indicted for having conspired
with others to obtain, and obtaining under false and
fraudulent pretences, from Lawrence Benvill, the sum of
:R. The facts as detailed by the prosecutor were these
—in the early part of January last, the prosecutor, who
is'a dimple countryman, residing a short distance from
the metropolis, in the service of a gentleman, came to
teyn with his master's gun ; he was trudging along
Whitechapel, with the gun under his arm, when the
prisoner cams up to him, and shewed him a watch,
which be told the prosecutor he had refused to take 14/.
fasetrestiesivrotare-brefore-from a Jew abut he would let
him have it for a. less sum rather then the villainous
Jew should have it. The prosecutor asked the prisoner
what he would sell the wstsh for? He replied that he
would let the prosecutor have it for 31. and lie was sure
it might be pawned for double that sum. The prose-
cutor was in the act of examining the watch, when a
man same up to him, and whispered in his ear
that he would give him a galore for his bargain if be
would purchase it. The proaecator, thinking ire could
get a guinea without much trouble, agreed to give N.
for the watch, and he retired with the prisoner to a
tavern, and from thence he went and pawned the gun,
and returned and gave the prisoner V. but on locking
for the man who had offered him a guinea for Isis
bargain, he saw him ran away in company with the
prisoner.
Mr. Ilooorticx, for the prisoner, took an objection to
the indictment, in which tt eras laid as the money of the
prosecutor, whets in fact, he contended, that as the gun
on which the money was lent ass the property of tile
prosecutor's master, so the money mast also be the pro
party of the master, and not of the prosecutor.
The Court overruled the objection, and the prisoner,
being found guilty, was sentenced to six months hapri-
soonbent, and to be kept to bard labour.

for the purpose of get•ing into the srst door window of
Mr. WebWe house, an oilman, No. 63, Fore-street. Mr.
Webb had been called up by the watchman, but en exa•
miming the windows no entry had been made, nor were
there any marks that forcible means had been at all osed.
The fellow exhibited no appearance of being drunk at
the time, but said he must get up there. as there was a
bag of his clothes, and if he was prevented now he should
flail Venty of time to do it. When searched at the
uatch-house, no implements of house breaking were
found urea him, nor any thing to confirm the suspicion
that he was a robber. De persiste lin his story that his
clothes were there, and nothing farther could be got out
of him, though he conduct d himself perfectly quietly
and orderly. —Before the Magistrate, his condu.:t was
equally decorous, hut still he persisted iii his story; a
man had told him his hag of cltrhes were there, and lie
was rlimbling op to get theni. It is perk ups needl• es to
say there was nothing of the kind en the piece where he
was tryin; tam get up. The account he gave of himself
otherwise was collected enough; he spoke very good
English, but said he was by birth a Dane ; that he came
to this country a sailor, on board an American East In-
di ,nun, named the Levant, of Boston, that he had since
been paid off on account of being sirk, awl that the Da-
nish Consul, to whom he had applied, had pr..mised to
do something for him.
As there appeared no good reason for thinking the
prisoner was attempting a burglary, the Magistrates
would not detain him ; but as he seemed to be without
friends in this country, and his conduct, and the ciientn•
stances under which he was found somewhat mysterious,
the officer who lad him in charge was directrtl to take
him to the Danish Consul.

A Meeting is to be bell at the Mansion-honse on
Thursday, to take into consideration the Act of Paella-
I went which was made for the relief of I nsolvent Helvetii.
None bat the most respectable Dinkers, Merchants, and
Traders, are invited to attend. As truth is elicited by
argument, the result, whatever it may prove, would
have been more satisfactory, had some persons who
might run a risk of becoming Insolvent Debtors hi ea
allowed to be present. The qui sion would, in that
event, receive something Ike fair play.
Oo Friday, at an Excise Court, held by the Justices
of the Peace at Glasgow, there came before them one of
the most scandalous cases of perjury and prevarication
that has ever occurred, Peter M`Millan, a labourer in
Bridgegate, who was brought forward as a Crown wit-
ness, had, in order to disqualify himself, talked in such
a way in a public hoisse the evening before, concerning
the malice that he professed te bear against the defend-
ant, that he thought his evidence would not be admit-
tee. The Court, however, dill examine bins, ',when the
conspiracy and perjury n ere clearly detected. 3PMillan
was instantly sent to Glasgow jail, to be kept there in
solitary confinement for the space of one calendar
month.
CALAMITOUS FlRE.—About a quarter before two o'clock
on Sunday morning a fire broke out in the rear of the Fish-
mongers' Alms Houses, opposite the Elephant and Castle.—
The houses were first discovered by a neighbour named Col-
lies, who happened to be returning home from a friend's'
house. He instantly alarmed Mr. Gardiner, the keeper of
the building, and the bell of the chapel was tolled iu order
to alarm the old persons resident in the Alms houses. It
was soon found that elm of the houses which was oecupied
by Mrs. Mary Weinman, aged 71, was on fire, and so rapid
was the progress of the lames that all attempts to approach
it were baffled. The flames extended their ravages to the
next dwelling, where a woman named Powell lived, who l
was in her SOth year, and who had been in the building 30'
years. Mr. Cooper and Mr. Gard ier, the keeper, broke open
the door, when they discovered nie roam in a body of smoke,
and the feeble old woman his Fed, breathing her last, the
4seefre haeibrgefeeiand her. Nise.eru dee gged oat, but she
survived only five minutes. After the flames were extin-
guished the body of Mrs. Ws inman nlis found burned to a
cinder, lying near the fire-place on the ground floor; her
Bible was lying by her side, with nearly all the leaves burnt
out, and also the candlestick. It is supposed she was read-
ing her Bible, and that the candle must have caught her
clothes, and have caused the dreadful catastrophe. Her
watch, and a favourite cat, were found among the ruins.—
This is the first conflagration that hes occurred in this an-
cient building since its erection in 1016.
FM AT CAPTAIN HARDOURNICS. MILDOVIIN GRAMM.—
On Saturday night last, some wicked incendiary or incendia-
ries set fire to an oat rick in three places, on the premises of
Captain Ilarboume, at the above place, the whole of which
was consumed to the ground. Fortunately, however, through
the prompt and vigorous assistance of the inhabitants of Ke-
nilworth and its immediate neighbourhood, the flames were
prevented from extending to • range of wheat ricks adjacent ,
though the wind sat in that direction: in this case the con-
flagration would have been dreadful. The fire was disco-
vered about eight o'clock ; and several fire engines from
Coventry were on the road, but were countermanded in
consequence of the flames being prevented from spreading.
—(Conextry Herald.)
DARING HIGHWAY ROBBERY.—.Yesterday, Mr. Smith,
the proprietor of the Three Cups Inn, Aldersgate-atree',
applied to the Magistrate at the Police-office, Hatton-gar-
den, for the assistance of the police to proceed to Ware,
in Hertfordshire, in order, if possible, to trace some de-
sperate ruffians, under the following circumstances:—Mr.
Smith stated, that about two o'clock on Saturday morn-
ing, it being very dark, six men armed with pistols, tv.c.
stopped the Lincoln waggon at Anneal, between Horldes-
don and Ware, on its way to Hertford. One of the rob-
bers stopped the waggon r, and presenting a pistol at his
head, swore a tremendous oath that he would blow his
brains out if he either attempted to move or make the least
alarm, whilst another secured the guard, and holding a
blunderbuss to his head, made a similar threat. Two of
the rubbers entered the waggon and began to unload it
into a cart which they Lad with them; two men were
in the earl, and they loaded it quite full, havineiObbed
the waggon of five large trusses of goods, teeo trunks,
a large chest, and three boxes. The two mew with the
horse and cart drove off, whilst the other four men, with
presented aims, stool sentry over the waggoner and
guard for more than half an hour.
ACCIDINT AND MOST ATROCIOUS ROBIIIIRT—We are
sorry to state that Mr. John Patching, jun. of Withyham,
(I met with a dreadful accident on Saturday night last, in con-
sequence of his hawse falling with him, on his return home.—
The injury he received rendered him insensible, and but lit-
tle hopes ere entertained for his recovery. He was not dis-
covered in the above condition till the next morning, when
it was found that some villains had robbed his person while
lying in a senseless state, of nearly 1001. in notes. The
timbers of most of the notes are known, and we hope the
barbarians will not escape detection.
Eyton, Stock-Broker, 2, Cornhill, and Lombard-street,
takes the liberty of informing his Friends the Public, that
a New Lottery is contracted for of only 0,000 Tickets, to be
drawn all in one day, viz. 23th instant. Eyton thinks it
proper to remind the Public that he thinks an early purchase'
necessary, as there are upwards of 3,000 Tickets siready
disposed of, the Scheme contains the usual proportion of
Prizes, viz. 20,000/. 16,0001. Ike. &c. &c. which Eyton anti-
: cipatea the selling of.—All business in the British end Fo-
reign Funds transacted by E. E. sad his assistants with fide-
! lity and despatch, at his Offices, 2, Cornhill and Lombard-
street.

MARRIED.
On the lit init. at St Mary's, Lambeth, Mr. Pope,. of
Holborn, to Angelina Taylor, only daughter of the 'late Jolla
Taylor, Esq. of Ilartshorn-hall, Derbyshire.

DIED.
At Greenwich. of • deep decline, the 40th of lalpzirY hatt
111 r. Thomas Shepherd. in the 47th year of hie'itie i avfl •
few days after, bis infant son, who were bothiserieti ttke
sapte rave.
Thbrsday, the 13th inst. Mr. Willa= Adams, of power
Thareeretreet.
Miser hstage,.Yo. 3, Sloase.ag•art. "11111041f1116
Inst. Mrs. Elizabeth Mary Jeulins, aged OIL

.

COURSING ar AIELKHAII DOWNS, BUCKS, FEB. U.

There was serene excellent sport on these Downs on Sa-
turday, altluitigh more than the dsual number of hares gat
away.
A Cup was the first match, giten by Mr.Orant, the owner
of the aleikham Harriers, which war won by Capt. Smithy
briiidie Gerard's Cross h. In three runs.

MATCHES iJa FlVit So‘isitKlaNi EACH.—Mr.llanson's
Dart brat Mr. Owen's br. d. ; Mr. Jones's b. Fly, beat Mr.
llouldsworth's wh. b. ; Capt. Friend's brio. b. beat Mr,
lloworth's Flora ; Mr. Meredith's gr. d. brat Mr. It. Owen's
Muclin t Mr. Lawrence's red U. bawl Mr. Ilazard's Pilot.
There were several other trial matches with fine runs.

ASHDOWN PARK COURS,ING, Fes. 13.

Curs.—Joe best Minna; Arachne beat Girl.
CRAVEN STARES.—JeweI beat Penelope, and won the
stakes.

MArcuss.—Mr. J. Long's Lex beat M. Cripps' Con.,
qneror ; Mr. Hrownes lirver:ey beat Mr. J. lotto's Laun
eeston ; Lord Craven's Cauliflower beat Mr. Pettit'', Ptas.4
ful; Mr. E. Cripps' Emerald beat Mr.Goodtake'slin-lightli
Mr. C. Phiilip's Rival beat Mr. E. Cripp's Ever:auks ;
Mr. Goodlake's Usiliot beat Mr. Pettatt' Princess; Mr.
Capel's J cony beat r.Oootliake's Detail ; Dr. Meyriek's
Margery heat Mr. Pettatt'a Pruden Le ; Mr. Brown's Bran-
nas heat Mr. Long's Lumeutinw ; Mr. Capers Infidel beat
Mr. Goodlake's Glowworm.

FOL'ATII DA V, lAD. 14.
DECIDING COCRAI, YO l TH CUPS.—ArEcime best Joe,
and won the Cup; Joe won the Guineas.
The Comptotu Bottom hares ran over Weathercock-his in '
their usual gallant style.