The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-10-16 00:00:00

POLICE.
-ow-

Marmot; House.—Yesterday, Mr. Armstead, a notary;
public, residing in Clement's Lane, appeared before then
LORD MAYOR upon a complaint made against him or,
having extorted 3s. 6d. for improperly noting a bill of
exchange.
The complainant, Mr. Ward, a tradesman, residing at
16, Castle Street, Leicester Fields, stated that on the day.
before he sent his boy to take up s bill which had become
due, and lay for payment at the banker'e. The boy did
not get to the hankers' until after the banking hours, and
was told that the bill had just been sent off to Mr. Arm-
stead, the notary public. When be got to the house of the
latter he tendered the full amount of the bill, for the time
had not expired to justify noting it. The defendant object-
ed to one ball crown, because it would not ring, for it was
in fact, one of the cracked ones, of defective execution,
which were so plentiful in the last coinage. The boy said
he thought it was silver, yet he would undoubtedly bring
another for it, if Mr. Armstead would take the rest of the
money, and allow him to hare the bill. Mr. Armstead,
' however, refused, and the boy returned to Castle Street,
Leicester Fields. When the bill was applied for again, it
was declared to be noted, and 3s. W. -demanded for the
noting. The complainant produced the half crown which
bad been tendered, and in strong terms complained of the
defendant.
The defendant said he weighed the half crown in a pair
of gold scales, and found it deficient in weight.
The complainant said he had weighed it, and was pre-
pared to say that it was weight. It was in the condition
which many had been issued from the Mint, and though
cracked was a legal tender.
The Loan Meroa expressed his opinion that when all
the rest of the money was tendered, it was rather sharp
practice to detain and note the bill, because there was
one objectionable bell crown which could not be changed
in time.
The defendant denied that the boy had assured him be
ovoid return. In the multiplicity of daily transactions it
would be extremely entbarraning to give such indolgencies
as that which bad been asked when the money was flat cor-
rect. However, if the half crown upon trial, or by proper
authority were declared a good one. he (Mr. Armstead), was
ready to retnrn the 3s. 6d. be had taken.
The complainant's boy declared be had given an assur-
ance that lie would return with another half crown. A
long altercsation then took place on the case, but the half
crown objected to was sent over to the Bank, where its
goodness was decided by another being sent in exchange.
Mr. Arinstead then acknowledged that he had been in
error, retorned the three shillings and sixpence, and cancel-
led the noting of the bill.
The Captiin of a Gravesend boat was summoned before
the Lord Mavoi for refusing to remove his boat from Bil-
lingsgate Market when required to do so. This was a
question which excited great interest amongst the proprie-
tors of the fishing and the Gravesend--boats, as it involved
the question as to the right of the latter to lie alongside
Billingsgate Market.
The City Solicitor attended in behalf of the Yeoman of
the market, who made the complaint. It is customary to
ring a bell at high water when the Gravesend boats " cast
off" from alongside the market, and make room for the
fishing boats. The defendant, on the occasion in question,
did not cast off, and cons' tinnily some boats with fish
could not come in ; but it was proved on his part that there
was at the time so high a gale of wind, that be could only
get out his vessel by greet exertion and danger. The pro-
raietors of some of the Gravesend hosts contended that they
d a prescriptive right to lie alongside the market, and
thet they were not bound to remove when it was incon-
ienient to them. They had been accustomed to lie in
the dock for more than one hundred years, and for their
1 own convenience always went out when the bell rang at
high water.
The City Solicitor, on the other hand, read the Acts fur
the regulation of the market, and clearly proved to the
satisfaction of the Lord Mayor. that the Gravesend boats
had no right whatever to lie where they did; that they lay
there by sufferance only, and that the whole of the dock,and
about it, had been exclusively devoted by the Legislature to
the fish boats.
The Proprietors of the Gravesend boats then made a
pathetic appeal to his Lordship, and said they bad been
greatly injured by the steam boats, and were severely re-
duced ; but if they were driven from alongside the market,
and forced to lie off in the middle of the stream, their
utter ruin would be the consequence, as no one would pay
sixpence to be put on board them, when, for the same
sum they might be put on board the steam boats—those
dangerous things which the public so inconsiderately
patronized, to the destruction of the river and all good sea-
manship. It was only theljester cheapness of the Graves-
end boats that prevented the " steamer" engrossing all their
business, and extirpating them.
Mr. Saunders, and those who contended for the exclusive
right of the fish boats, declared that they had no intention
I whatever, of doing any thing to injure the Gravesend boats.
They merely wished to have it settled, and cleanly uoder-
stood that they only came by the side of the market upon
sufferance, and provided they made way at high water for
the fish boats, there was no intention to disturb the pre-
, sent practice.
The LORD Mayon approved of this declaration, and the
'complaint was dismissed, upon the understanding that the
Gravesend boats must always give way on the ringing of
the bell for the fish boat=.
Many complaints have been made recently at this office,
of the speed at which the steam boats go at night tip and
down the river, to the great danger of all the small
boats, which in the dark can only avoid them with
difficulty.
BOW-STREET.—SIR. CORBETT AND TIIE TURNPIKE•
MIIN.—One of the lessees of the Kensington trust, yesterday
waited upon Mr. Mixsuut., and requested that the hearing
which had been appointed for this day should be postponed.
to suit the convenience of counsel, who was now attending
the Sessions. After some discussion, the summoning
clerk was dircted to communicate what had passed to Mr.
Cobbett, and at the same time to inform him, that the cue
was postponed until Wednesday next.
CAIN ; A Mrsrenv.—Thomas Price applied to the 1
Magistrate for some sort of proceeding to compel one Mr.
Johnson, a printer, in Ileautort-buildings, to give up to
him certain reams of psper ; and he scarcelygot half through
his complaint, when at r..lolinson stool at his side, calling
upon the Magisti•ate to coamel him to pay far printing
1000 pirated copse l of Lord Byron's " Cain!'
Price, it appeared, had engaged Johnson to print a
certain number of Copies of 0 Cain ; a Mystery," for which
he' fureished the paper, and undertook to pay for the
printing according to au arrangem-nt mutually agreed
upon between (bent. Johnson printed as many as a WOO
copies of " Cain ; a Mystery," but " Cain; a Mystery ;"
was too mysteriteis Co. the million. and became a drug—it
would not sell even at the utice of 61. a copy ; and so Mr.
Price could n 4 pay for the priming. The lOW copies of
"Cain; a Mystery, ' were, consequeotly left upon ;mid.
Johnson's hands ; who now declare-I that he could not
sell them even for wade paper! And yet Mr. Price was
r. unreasons'ile as to reiloire the Magistrate to compel
the poor man to give up a small criaotAy of the paper
" which remained un.rpoiled !"
The Magistrate, however, refused to interfere in the
matter, and after the parties had spent a lee minutes in
calling each other bard names—such as filen, swindler,
beggar, ate. they were cleared out.

HATTON•GARDEN..--MAVIKING BEER IN THE STREETS.
-e-Yeatertlgy Benjamia nod, landlord of the Friend at
Hood puolic house, Colons'le, Ltrunstviek square, appeired
to a summons, charged by Hodgson, Eq. of M.
Upper 13cdford-plarr, with bituLiog beer about tLc sut•ets