The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-12-19 00:00:00

prz
_fir.
Totion _

under no priiileg e of this kintl, the lilt 1
persrwriliet should have published or remedied on a
telitin 'which he had.been a party. Thwassignees of
Mr. Wildegrare hart brought an action against
Bignotrl; as Secretary of the Norwich Union Fire.
riffiee, itnd Vecoveredrhe sum estimated to have 'steal
Mr.'Bignildwfterwards published, in the shape
of hand-bills, remarks upon that trial. His'' Sum-1
mitey,""swhjoined to 'his- remarks, was.-the libel
which:formed the groans:ld this action, "It should
be remembered, that Mr..,Waldegrave was insolvent.
*f he file happened ow Saturday night. An suspicious
fires ticiiir owtSsearday night or the next (Sunda/J.l
No'caisite hai appeared for this'fire." They cootie
lot donbtler a moment, that the object of these ob. •
servetiont was to Is'epoitthe Plaintiff the imputation •
of having wilfully set fire to his premises. This was-
, as false as it was malignant; it wis sufficient, in •
order to show this, to refer to the verdict of the Jury,
who found the insurance buund to pay. This could
not have•been done, if any suspicion esisted that the
fire was wilfully occasioned. "He lived on bed.'
lertns'atilk Ilse landlord and occupier of the house"`'
The house was the Bull Inn, Bishorgate-street, and
the Plaintfiff.Weihimself the landlord. This part was
exposed by its own absurdity. A man might be
sometimes not of humour with himself, hut that could
not be the Defendant's meaning. Ile had been then
landlord of the Bull Inn; he now kept an hotel in
Brighton, in which it was hoped better fortune would
attend him. " 'l'he property was not hi., bet John
and Mary Williams's." It was sworn by the Plain-
tiff (for the action having been brought by the as-
signees, he was a witness) that the property had
been his. " The action having been in the name of '
the assignees, he was a witness ; while I, by being
made Defendant, was prevented from giving evidence
which would contradict him." The Members of
the Norwich Union being very numerous, it was
necessary to select some one, and none being
better knoll), or more naturally fitted to represent
their interests, the action was brought against their
Secretary. " The sum insured for was five time.
the value of the goods." This was false, for the
whole sum was recovered. Thus he never happened,
by accident, to he right. They would give such rea-
sonable satisfaction as the case seemed to them to re-
quire. The Plaintiff had once had a fortune; he
hoped he would have a fortune again. He always
had a character unsullied and unlimited till this ma-
lignant attack was made upon it. All that was to be
done on the part of the Plaintiff was to wove the
Defendant's hand-writing.
Joseph Barnes knew of the fire at the Bull Inn ;
it was on the Bth of March, 1817. It was caused by
a thanker' horse-keeper, who was himself burnt to
death.
George Cochrane had valued the effects burnt at
719,. 6s. That was the sum claimed.

Edward Gill, a printer, was in the employ of the
Defendant. The hand bill exhibited had been print-
ed by him by order of the Defendant; he printed
3000. It was put in evidence, and read.
Cruss-eiamined.—lt came to him in the sisal form.
The hand-bills were to be given to the Members of
the Institution. oti.

That part of the bill which was stated to be the
libel, was put in and read ; it was as follows, under
the head of

•f

• • SUMMISRY.
" It should Ins observed. that Waldman* se ingelyest.
" This hr( took ;MICR uu a Saturday night.
" All suspicious fires happen either on that night, or the fol-
lowing, viz. Sunday. I
" The avow of this fire has not been aseertained.
" The hw.krupt was at variance both with the landlord or
the inn and the occupier. ...
" The claim ma 'e was for more titan lee times the liaise et
the goodstlamaged. .
" the bankrupt snore, on his examination before the Corn-
Inissiorers of Bankruptcy. that he had diapered of the farelture
to Jo;in and Mary Anne Williams, consequently the property
,was not his.
" The premises where the fire happened were not described
in the policy, nor *eel they adjoining or comionnicating to
those which bad been described, but separate nod at ads/lance
therefr.im.
" The order given did not mention whether the premises were
brit it or otherwise.
I " The proper rale had not been paid. no policy delivered, nor
I,lied W aldegrave been informed Ciat his tosurauce was effected,
nor could juine considered as effected.
" It ought also to be particularly observed, that, by the
Amikruptcy. Naidegrave was enabled to become a witness, in,
Mend of being the claimant ; %hike Mr, tlignold, aho could
have contradicted all Waldegrave's evidence, was precluded the
; opportunity of so doing, by are assignees having made him the
01/eft-admit."
George Clarke took a copy of the paper to be
.pablished in a Newspaper by order of the Defend-
ant. . it was published.; the, Paper was the British
Luminary. The Inatitution consisted of 80,000
Members. -- ~ .
William Chamber; publisher of the British Lll4
urinary, published the paper in question. The cir-
culation that day was .2000. It was a weekly
raper. ;n,.i J' ,41elitionr. .1 al`
.....—. Bignold, Defendant?' set; said his lithgr
bad been Secretary to abet totfitution for 20 yew.'
'Hesitating to .My "holm. his yearly income was
4or 50001., ,sts, whether kis last year's income
wits not 60001.0 be was asked it he, ter not a man
of considerable property ? and answered in the of
firmative.
Cross,ertamined by Mr. Serjeant Cojarir.
•
What ! Do yen direct•this action:--No. • 0
olon are not en good terms with your father ?-411
I must mistier that question, I rather say my fales
it not on good terms with ale. _ .

nook

t. Your lather is not now Secretary ?—No. • 1:
Was not Waldegrase's action defended at the de-
ilift•of the Directors?—No. •
ihre you sure of that, Mr. Bignold ?—To the beet
Of nay knowledge. t"ois
You are not sure then that it was wet ?—t allt g

Ammons's. if it had been, I should hasitAtkod itistramMi
Alms from them, and I had none.: ic•olA .9)14
• Who were the Attornies?-lAmb and !bark.
You area professional man yourself I—l am. •
Here Mr.:iterjrilipppans interposed, awl contend.
ed that tnis oseminatron was calculated rather to ill*
4ire toe sun than to serve the father.
.Ctilast,JUTlCV.—My Brother Copley conducts the

,sitestremely well. - 11 '
1 )
;l Did rou Oscine itlitruotiontlie.tlms aanie?-4 did:
got. n 4 : ANA i #4,. j If. 'l. ill ;v .. • ! .34
.1% -
.: Watorgant never cousolied upo* iitertoseer wail.
I rioter bothitly thin( to do with,lp '; 1.-, :I ,
Wts 'dart fattier in town at Ilie4hile i.-Witit btaQi,
at )(Jur elbow, Sit 2—l understood he woe .
Did your father IleTel speak to you of it 2—Yes,
once.

I . What was the date of tile- Meeting at the George
and Vulture 2-4 cannot tell.
• Wag it not ad

fat • considerable

time ?—lt might for perhaps a fortnight.. •
Mr. Serjearit COPIAT said, Imeiesee 4111wentely
happy to address Gentlemen
.wifirtiffbfitlldttg*Lialyn-'1
ly and UM perately. on •the &mint of 'the pilishitt
action ; and he was confident they would believe
.
that no intention of polishing Mr; Waldegrave, .
imputing fraud to him, or of describing him to the
world as a man otho•had voluntarily ,set fire to his
own house, for the purpose of robbing the Norwich
Union Society, could have actuated his Client. -It
!as necessary for them to recal to mind the circetor,
etances under which the publication took
Mr. Bignold had bow ter many years-Secretary of
the Society; his ezettlesits had been highly, benefi-
cial to it; but he mailbag in those circumstances of
affluence he was- this day represented to be. 'De
bed been removed feats the situation he held, whe-
ther from a misconception of his . conduct An
the part of the Members, or through the 'nitre-
mentality and agency of his own .boa, he should
not' then' enquire. The former action had been
brought against him as Secretary, and though' he
had considered it• as a ditty be owed the Members;
to defend the• action, he had never set up; de
glanced at, such a defence as fraud on the plat of,
Mr. Waldegrave. The result of the action gave
rise to various Meetings in which the propriety of
Mr. B.'a conduct and motives was questioned and
strongly arraigned. He, accordingly, thought it a
course which prudence dictated, to draw up 'a sum-
mary of the circumstances which, in his mind, jus-
tified him in resisting Mr. W.'s demand, until an
investigation was made, and in compelling him to,
establish the justice of his claims. That was the sole
motive of the publication—to convince the Members
that he had not acted improperly in defending the
action, to vindicate his own character, and show
that he had strong grounds for proceeding as he had
The Learned Gemmel then esamined and com-
mented on various parts of the publication, contend.'
its there was mach colour of truth to justify his
elitist in his esseetions. The cause of the fire had
never been proved till that day. The Policy had,
in point of fact, been sent to Mr. Waldgreve, hot
he not being at home, had been returned to the
Society for alteration. The premises- were partly
mortgaged to John and Mary Anne Williams. The
whole, he continued, was merely an effort by Mr.
Bignold, to show the Members that he was bound to
put the facts in a train of enquiry before he palate/ay
funds of which he was intrusted with the superintend-
ence and management—at all events, he •waisure
they would not consider if as a case efffarriages. The
publication could not possibly hrie tlie effect of in-
juring Mr. Waldegrave's character—every shade of
suspiciou had been removed from him by the prece-
'ding public trial—a trial much discussed and enquired,
into, and notorious in every part of the kingdom.—
He could, therefore, have sustained no damage from
any thing said of him by Mr. Bignold.
'CHIEF JOSTICE.—It is impossible to suppose, that
circulation of thousands of handbills, of which
some might be handed to passengers inlhe street,
and of which a copy was published in a Newspaper,
was* privileged circulation. We can judge of mean-
ing ; us to motives, they are beyond oar proviiice.—
We can judge of meaning only by what a man sayi.
*swot. opinion, that the object manifestly is to tin•
puce the fire to the Plaintiff. Is it pnsihle not to.
see that the object of the whole puhlication is to de-
prive the Plaintiff of the protection which the ver-
dict of a Jury had afforded ? It is for you eiclu•
t.ively to estimate the amount of damages. But I
lament Oat a son, on had terms with his father,
should ever be brought into a Court of Justice to
prove the property of his father, for the purpose
of obtaining heavy damages. Any one who brought
him in this case has done ill. If he Clllllll of his own
accord, it is to he deplored indeed.
Verdict for the Plaintiellatilitges 5001.

TI I)RAPPI4) GUILD.
: • . 16'411111111.... • •
111.1 M • EURTHER. PAItTICAMA NS. :(117,r '
curiosity was very winch excited on, pony re-
it cling the child dropped at the door or Mr Janses.l4,'ltagh•
ittreet, Gray's inn-lane.• The name and address of the tout..er
are still kept a secret by she Parish (Meets... as wisest lin.
Symons, the midwife, was examined, all the other witnesses
had to withdraw; but it is certain that she is a tarty of inde-
pendent fortune, and a widow, her residence is An the City-
road, and the name of the father is Ti sue. „Further respecting
them me cannot state, but that on the etaminatton of Aan
Symons, it appeared that this is Ilse Cd child disproied of in a ti
asilar manner. On Saturday, as gooses the child was born, it
mt. giveu (before it was washed or drested, but ,wrapped up in
a flannel petticoat), hy Mrs. Symons to a Mrs, White. wife of
James White, auctioneer, 43. Maiden-lane; Covent-garden, to
be carried by her to nurse to a sister, of ,Mrs., Symows,. lodging
in a, two-pair hark-room at No..s..Silver-stseet, at uhf hack .uf
E Clerkenwell Sessions-house, and whole host:Mod (MY. (!vans,)
is Clerk to Mr. Cable, stove-grate-manufacturer, Little %trim:
Mil, anti Mn. While is sister to bin. Evans. 114 r. and Mn.
li,vans not living on the best tams, she left him about three
thrysibefore, and went to live in I)brer-street. St: George's-
fields aa which Mrs. Whiteragrred- to leave the child to nurse
skith,Nlrs. Wittier, a, ,respectable,„wantan, living in the fruit
room, at the same time telling her it belonged to a Lady that
the btr.h was so be erracealed ; that she should be swell satisfied
for her trouble, and that lathy-clothes would be sent. Mrs.
'Winter a°reed to the pppasal„ tbe,elothes were sent tier,. and
she kept the Child' urn When Mei. Symons, tlhe Maid-
'wife, railed ea her. and lafoimed her it was the Lady's lawns
tisn.to soul the eltiiti to .the country to he nursed. and Utak
when -be Pent it there the only meant to leave it fur a few days.
Mei; Svmetis Bien garde lieirseven shining* for the time she kept
,it, aid4oldthartte bring IMAM to her. lodging., at' She honor
ViailciaSkegg. %Mt keeps an academy. at i.°B,, Kirby,
sieve*, tiation.garttea, Mrs. N% later areerdingly !limbed and:
'shimmed the AOC all/ carried it to Mrs. Sysamithalt feursectiA '
.00•41iivsrliy evfsiog. and in her way thither she tatted into'
Mr. Witlianis's,(grocer) shop, within two, doors of her 'town,
near Melton hilrt showed the child, and related titkiniste4inus
inressinstaneen.reiritiee to its birth. nod that she,ohat then taking
it ,back tP tlit,anidwilt in.or.der to be sent to qtur. At
,half--past.
o'clock the same evening, it being very dark, a seri ant to Mr.
Goltiagwoiod; butcher, in Brook's-mashes, pfektd 'wo an old
cash market-baskat ot the door of. Mr. James, 341. Tostt-street,
end an e„tamining it, he 'pond it to contain an infant, wrapper
hp ilia piecepfnitY blanket; and fast itsleip,the'reivefila feu baby
Clothes In the basket, but of the meattett description, none ?if
the clothesit bad ett.lllrs. Miuter's being as ith e cept. the «hist
it had nut; the child was taken iuto M,r. Jamesl, attil.after-
' startle carried to the workhouse, *here *ftrit :stroke it went
eat* ipiyeng.foistellsinas, in which siole it reatiteed rensidertt-
bk length•of time, owing to its b.isimgrece„ived a large lquan.
thy of syrup of poppies to make if s:l,.ep. Shortly after the
child was foond,esionsun who happened to flats thin wiry, god 1
. seeing a great eland. collected. teen i red the cause,. of which
ate was informed,: ln,her way hmag she called at Me. Wil-
Uams's,
i the grocer, n Sal see street, Turrtirtfil;.street, where the
Mated the flretialstanee of a -heinirfaind, as 'already
stated. Mrs. Wiilianis,,rticollectirt; the child that Mn.
showed her, and whose birth,was involved le mysterri wentimmediately arid relateil thetstory to Mrs. Minter, and desired
her to gat tothe worithassie to satisfy herself if it With 1114 shijis
ur tio. Mrs Winter being oiherwise eruplased, did rant go her-
self, bat sent her daughter to seethe who-immediately
knew it to be the same her mother carried to Mrs. Symons's nt
tour o'clock, she identified the piece of blanket watt the shirt,