The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-01-22 00:00:00

THF. STAT&SMAN

humane, though superstitious persona who attended
him, by w►om be was wrapt ep sad carried bleeding
and exhausted, to his deselute abode. B.
Finsbury-place, Finsbury-square.
P. S. 1 would wish it to be understood, that upon
the most minute inquiry, no trace of either crime or
priestcraft was perceivable; Isar could any rational
cause whatever be assigned for this extraordinary
self-punishment.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

COURT OF KINO'S BENCH.--JAN. 20.

•:STROBES V. THE EAST INDIA romr.txT.

This was an issue from the Court of Chancery, to
try the question of. the amount of Tithe which the
Company are liable to pay to the plaintiff, who is the
rector of the parish in which the India-house and the
Company's warehouses in Lime-street are eitusted.—
The Company offered to pay as Tithe the annual sans
of 6001. '1 he plaintiff, however, considered this of-
fer as made on a tali-0:1643u far below the value of
the property. He called Mr. Montague, Mr. Burton,
and Mr. itubertson, eminent surveyors. They thought
9480/. would be the fair annual rental of the whole
premise., and on this sum the plaintiff clainteil his
tithe of 2s. 9d. in the pound.
On the part of the defendants, Mr. Pilking,ton, Sur-
veyor, Mr. Cockerill, architect to the. Company, and
Mr. Shaw, were examined. Mr. Cockerill estitna4eil
it at 3,91101.; the other two Gentlemen took it at the
annual value of 4,300/. . _ .

The Jury found a verdict for the plaintiff, fixing
the annual value of the premises at 5030/.

NORWICH SESSIONS.

On Saturday se'nnight,ilr. Marsham Elwin took
the Chair in the Crown Court, and the long-expectiel
case of Rex on the prosecution of Robert Vic': 'in, r.
Edward Heaven GAG:, F. was heard. This was a
case which appeared to excite a %cry considerable de-
cree of interest ; it was an indictment 4-ainq the de-
fendant, a gentleman of fortune, and well known in
this county, for an assault committed by him on the
person of the prosecutor, who is a saddler and collar
maher, residing at Fakenhatit. To the indictment the
defendant had pleaded giiilty ; and he now, by his
Counsel, Mr. Robinson, exhibited affidavits in mitiea-
lion of punishment. Mr. Henry Cooper, Connsvl for
the prosecution. The case on the part of the prosecu-
tion teas briefly as follows :—Some thee previous to
August last a dispute arose between the prosecutor and
tireen, miller, Fakenham, respecting s.atie wheat.
The defendant at that time paid his addresses to Mr.
(ireen's daughter, Whew he has since inarrietl.—On
the 10th of August last the prosecutor went into
Fakenham mar Let, and seeine Mr. Green there, west
up to him, and according to his own account, (cot.-
roborated by the testinsioly of another stiW as. Mr.
Bale,) was talking- with him, not luuilly or riotostatil
but ;again; with Mr. Wren on the subject of the
disputed wheat. In the midst of the cousersation
the defendant came up, and taking hold of Mr.
Green, apparently with an intent to lerd him away,
said to him, " why 'do von talk to such a fellow as
this ?-1 would nut talk to such a fellow ;" to which
the prosecutor replied, " Fellow, Mr. Wane I
shetet know what you mean, 1 am not talking to yon,
have no business nith yen ;" on u•larb the de-
fendant immediately said. " d—n your blood,
you swindling rascal, if von say three words to me
will horse whip you," and immediately followed
this up by striking the prosecutor repeatedly very
,meek with a jockey whip which lib bail in his
band, by which meats% Isis right arm, slionlder, and
back were very considerable bruised. The prose-
tutor tht a caught held of the whip, and said, " Mr.
yon have 'called me a swindler, what do you
ratan by it ?" to which defendant replied, extricat-
I ing his whip and repeating Isis blows, "Yes, and
can prove you a swindler at Wells Races." The
prosecutor stated that several applications had been
made to settle the matter, but all went off in conse-
quence of the defendant's refusing to retract the
epithet of Swindler. The prosecutor's evidence
was corroborated by the testimony of Mr. Edward
' Bale, a farmer at Tufts, and also be the evidence of
Mr. John Jai-ret, a farmer, at Ilempton, both of
whom were present at the assault.
'('be case on the part of the prosecution being
closed, Mr. Robinson put in affidavits of the Men-
dart, his father-in-law (Mr. (ireen), and of a Mr.
Brown, in mitieatioa of punishment. The affidavit
of the defendant expressed his contrition for having
been guilty of a breach of the public-peace: that
he was actuated in what be hall done Irons an idea
that the prosecutor was insulting his father-in-law ;
and that he had endeavoured, without effect, to cent-
promise the matter. The other affidavits went to
prove that the prosecuter had been guilty of impro-
per conduct towards Mr. Green, in the Market.
place of Fakenham, on the afternoon in quantity.;
and that the idea that thelhoseenter was insett-
ing Breen led to the commission of the assault in
question.
Mr. Robertson then addressed the Court in mitiga-
tion, and Mr. Henry Cooper. in aggravation of
punishment, after which the Court retired to
consider the sentence, and after an absence of near
half an hour returned, when the Chairman, appa•
rently with very painful feelings, delivered the sen-
tence of the Court.
The assault, be observed, seas one of a very aggra-
vated nature, accompanied with an assertion so slan-
derous and malicious, as extremely to increase the
enormity of the offence. • In the affidavits which had
been offered in mitigation it 112.1 been stated, that the
assault had been committed in vindication of the cha-
racter of Mr. Greeu, but this was nut the cue; a
pansaction at Wells races had, at the moment of the
`fteavalt, been assigned as the cause of it. The &fen-
daat had taken credit for offers of compromise, but
these oilers were little less then an aggravation; in
so oar instance had any apology been made for the
charge of swindling alleged against the prosecutor.
sad it was snit* impossible the prosecutor could allow
.of any apology short of that which went to retract
suck a slanderous accusation. The assault, therefore,
stood eaesitigated isy any circumst,ances whatever.
The Court was very oneriliing to place. tbedefsndautitt
a situation to lacteal* the painful sense of degrade-

lion which the defendant most already feel, otherwise
than by a fine I admonishing the defendant, as he
respected the laws of his country and his own cbarae-
ter, as a man, and as a gentleman, to abstain from
such outrages in future. The sentence of the Court
was, that the defendant should pay a fine of 31W1. to
the King, and be imprisoned till the fine be paid.