The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-07-09 00:00:00

ANECDOTES or LORD CHIEF JUSTICE
JEPFERIES.

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s
Ms ant appearance In the wiitlif Seiboet the
time of the Restoration, and though the current of (hi
nation ran strong towards the King's"side. yet thirl
was not wanting a number of weal-etriftents, Who Inc&
every opportunity to enlarge their interesrottiditsrp"
port thelt cause. Ile attached hiesseiti wirelalT'
them, and carried his Sea to such a pitch, Mit, Ih
his hours of jollity, be would he continually prns
meting all the treasonable herlths that war is thert
fashroneble ; and he himself esed always to set 114'
'temple by drinking them on his kneel. Ile visibly:
saw, that, notwithstanding every effort• of his friends,.
the Court Party daily gained ground. Ile therefore
wisely considered, that, though his party did ail
they could for him, he now cosh! do more for him.
self ; be therefore, changed sides without any cere.,
many, end looked upon himself as a politician that
was totally to be guided by Court maxims. lie now
became, as it were, the bull dog of the party, to Veit
and worry all such as were obnoxious to them, and'
in this he acquitted himself so well, that his patrons,
in requital of such acknowledged abilities, made him
Lord Chief Justice of England. Clad with this ale•
thority, he eserted it indiscriminately for the use of
the Crown, whenever en opportunity offered. Its
the State Trial of Sir Sinsuel Bernardiston. for a
libel, when the Counsel for the Defendant urged,
that that part of the information which charged
Moats letters to be a falser ocandslous, and seditious
libel, was a matter for the Jury's consideration, that
able Chief Justice interrupted him, and said, " Let
us have none of that doctrine, the lam supplies the
proof, the thing itself speaks malice soil sedition. Al
it is in murder, we say always in the indictment. he
did it by the instigation of the devil; can the Jury
find that he did it not by such instigation ? Sr in in-
formations for offences of this nature, he did it falsely
and maliciously; which words necessarily import ma.
lice, reproach, and scandal to the Government ; there-
fore there needs no proof but of the fad; the law
supplies the rest." In such times as these it it not
to be wondered at, that such a man as Jefferlea
should please hit patrons, though he pleased nobody
else, anti it was not long before they gave him signal
marks of their high approbation of him; for, es to-
ken of their grateful acknowledgments of his great
services, they made him a Lord, while yet a Judge;
alt honour that has not been given to any of his pre-
decessors, escept in one or two instances, upon very
uncommon occasions. Ile might justly be said tai
have been a very unfair combatant, for lie would
never be brought to enter the list with equal weapons,
though he was highly delighted with panegyrics from
the press, yet he was a mortal enemy to the liberty
of it; and whenever he had received an injury from
that quarter, be would never be prevailed on to for-
give it.
• When the Archb;shop of Canterbury,
and sic miter
ilishops were called into the Council Chamber, by
James IL and only pressed into a recognizance, t hey
said, " they were informed, that no man was obliged
to enter into a recognisance, unless there was a spe-
cial matter against him, and that there was oath made
of it against the person." , Jelferies being applied to
for his opinion. said, " the demand was reasonable,
and there were precedents for it." The death
of this very abominable charactr, is almost at
extraordinary as his life, for. after having a
thousand times deserved the last mention of the
laws, for his continual wrong interpretation of
them. he, at last, fell a victim for the defence of
them ; for, having in the plenitude of power, detected
a solicitor of mal-prectices, he not only exposed him
in open Court. but fined him very severely. At the ,
time of King James's abdication, Jefferies, conscious ,
of the just resentment of the Public, endeavoured to
make his escape, but was detected by this very solici-
tor, who accidentally met him in a public-house,
near Wapping, end knew him, though disguised in
the habit of a sailor; from thence he was contlected
before a Magistrate, from thence to the 'rower; where
lie soon died through the fear of farther consequencel.
N. B. Lord Chief Justice Jefferiel left behind him
nor son, named John, who married Charlotte, daugh-
'plot the sister of the Duchess of Portsmouth, Ws-
trills to Charles the Second.—( London Museum,
17470.)

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s' '
.A new method of shoeing horses has recently been
inprodoced. It consists of two pieces joined by a
• binge, which is defended by a strong steel-headed
lite', and, by adapting itself to the expansion of the
'foot, is intended to prevent contraction.
Yesterday morning two fellows, passing the house
of Mr. Goodlilf, IL, Southampton-street, Camber-
, well, observed a mahogany writing-desk standing just
inside the window of front room, the sash of which
was throirti up. A. female servant was in the garden
in front of house, and, in order to draw her at.
tention away while their felonious project was car-
ried into execution, one of them went into the fore-
court of the next house, and entered into conversa-
tion with her over the separating wall, while his
complice drew the desk from its place and decamped.
Resides other valuable articles, it contained 151. in
Ralik-notes.
MURDER AND SUICIDE PREVENTED.—About nine
o'clock on Tuesday night, as Mr. Nangle, School-
master to the Catholic school in Dean street, Soho,
accompanied by a gentleman of the name of Coady,
were returning to tow II from Hampstead, in passing
by the Regent's Canal, they observed a poor woman,
with an infant about six months old in her arms, on
the point of precipitating herself and child into the
water ; they hastened to the spot, and happily pre-
vented her executing her dreadful purpose. Mr. Nat
`le citified the child in his arms, whilst Mr. Coady
supported and consoled the unfortunate woman as
far as Mr. Do en's, the Union Tavern, John-street,
Orford-street, where there was a General Mewing
of the Gentlemen of the Catholic Club assembled for
charitable purposes, and to which club Mr. Naugle is
Secretary, when Mrs. Down took her into a private
room, and after giving her some proper nom isholent
and consolation, her case was investigated with the
greatest delicacy by two of the Members deputed by
the Society fur that purpose, afterwloich she was sop-
plied with money to aasairev,ker immediate wants, an t
her name sud address taken down.
in ordt.r to me.k,
farther encleiry into it .truth of be, stat.roent, *AI
the intention to afford er Imre permanentonent blipitfis•

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