Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1807-10-16

and reHccion on the diGerent proceedings
ni courts of law--:echnicalp vhrases and
torms---l have thought pro;.er to send
you for insertion the following state
lment 1T is taken from the HE o. that
great and coed man, Mr. Wesley, publish
led by &. Dobbin and Murphy, Baltimore,
and certainly merits the serious considera-
ton OF every man.
In the beginning of July, 1761, says Mr..
Wesley, was desired TO Gail on Il poor
lprisoner in the castle OF York, Nngland).
IL had formerly occasion To take notice OF
an hidcous monster, called Chaxcery ErH
IL now saw the fellow to il called De-
eiaration. The plain fact was this: Sume
time since, man who lived near Yarn,
assisted others in running some brandy
his share was worth nearly four pounds.
After he had wholly left off that work, and
was following his own business, that of Il
weaver, he was arrested, and sent to York
goal. And not long after came down q
DectaraHon, that Jack, who had landed "a
vessel laden with brandy and Geneva, at
the port of London, and sold them there.
whereby he was indebted to his Sovereign
Lord The King, in the sum of SRI. and up.
wards And to tell this tvorfhy SforV, the
lawyer takes up il or IL sheets of treble
stampt paper.
; . England Will this reproach never
be rolled away from thee. Is there any
thing like this To be found, either among
Turks or Heathens l.? In the name Of JUS.
tee, mercy, and common sense, ask, ist.
Why do men lie for lying sake ? IS it only
to keep their hands in /! What need else
OF saying 1t was the port ofLondon ? When
every one knew the brandy was landed 500
miles thence.
What monstrous contempt of truth does
this shew, or rather hatred to it? I'd.
Where is the justice of swelling d. into
i577lE Sd. Where is the common sense of
taxing up IA sheets to tell = story? That
may be told III ten lines 4th Where is the
mercy, of thus grinding the face of the poor
beggared prisoner ? Would not this be ex-
ecrable villains, if the paper and writing
together, were only Sd. a sheet, when thew
nave stript him already of his little ali,
and has not left him l4groats in the world 2
1t is certain that nothing can be said in
defence of our law proceedings. They are
often absurd, highly oppressive to the sub
lect, and disgraceful to civilized nation.
In CRIMINAL cases, how often does the in
dictnent magnify and exaggerate both the
CRIME and every circumstance connected
with it, beyond all the bounds of truth and
. probability. Hence it becomes extremely
difhcuit for jurymen to discharge their duty
with good conscience And we seldom sec
punishment fully proportioned to the crimes
committed. What shall we say in other
: cases where the Pathology and circumlocu-
ton peculiar to the language of our law.
the delay of judgment in the courts, and the
regeneration permitted through the whole
proceedings, render it almost impossible
Tor an honest man in midling life TO obtain
MS right against a villain, without the ut
most danger of being ruined !? A man who
roos on the highway is hanged---but VIII
lam who robs by means of the chicanery.
delay and expense ofthe law, escapes with
imPunIty and is aPplauded.
ne following account of the last ariel ex-
, Sursoh OF MI BLANCHARD, is copied
from late Dutch paper.
The 61st air voyage of the famous Mr..
Blanchard, being the 11th of his ladv. was
performed the Sd of August near hotter
DAM though every prospect appeared
very favourable for the intended vovare.
yet IL as disturbed by an unfortunate acci,
dent A quarter aIter6 O'Clock, the Begin
nng was made with filling the ,Montgolfcre.
ana before halt past o. clock the balloon
was perfectly ready, and left the ground:
nut unfortunately took hold by an iron wire
on which it before had been fastened. Ioos-
ened itself violently, and received a large
riit which occasoEed the flying off of the
OaIloon against large tree, and thereby
Sot an opening Nevertheless the voyape
would have been crowned with success
had not the balloon in rising into the air
) been encountered by whirlwind, which
brought the gallery into disorder and en-
larged the opening
This ever before fortunate air traveller
now tell out of the balloon, first upon the
top of house and from thence on ths,
ground, by which he received larpe con-
fusion on his head, but is however in n
: state of recovery.
1t appeared Madame Blanchard would
have sc1ped better by falling first on some
; trees, but the agitation of seeing the des-
cension of her husband, made such an inn.
preston upon her organs of speech, thar
she is now in kind of dumb and life.ess
State.-LondoH fiqfer.
THE COMET.
Unprotected, and unexpected this Co
met will supply the astronomers with new
) topics Of speculation on the laws and mo-
ITEMS of this hitherto mysterious and in
comprehensive species of planetary bo-
DIES. That any thing more satisGactorv
IMAM our predecessors have advanced, will
Enfflf .