The Sun. — 1827-02-22 (London, England)

NES AND ANOTHER. Mr. Cntrrr opened the pleadings. The declaration Mated that this Was an action brought by the plaintiff against the defendants, for a libel contained in a periodical of which they were the printers. The libel was represented in a picture as well as words. Mr. Sergeant VAUGHAN addressed the Jury for the plaintiff. The plaintiff was a Sheriff's officer, and, in his profession, a very respectable man, residing in Oxford-street, and, in the course of his duty, executed, or rather attempted an execution against a person, who had for some time evaded his search ; he at length, however, received information that this person was up stairs in his own house. He accordingly went there, and inquired for him, and, on being told he was not at home, proceeded up stairs, hut was unsuccessful in finding him. In consequence of his thus having gone into the house, an action of trespass was brought against him by that person; in which 1001. damages were given against him. A short time after this the poetry complained of was produced, which appeared to have received its birth in some garret in Grub-street, and was published in a periodical publication, called The Spirit of the Times The publication in question was embellished with a frontispiece, and a pretty sort of one it was ; in-heed, it seemed to account for the eagerness with which his Learned Fi iend had hurried on the trial of this cause (it was now late in the evening) when it was :ihnost dark. This frontispiece was, indeed, sufficient to shock any person, and appeared to be grossly indecent. At the first glance it conveyed the idea of two persons about to murder a third, who was represented as in bed ; and unfortunately in one of these two was discovered a formidable likeness of his client; fur though it appeared in the shape of a caricature, yet it was well known that very excellent likenesses were frequently contained in prints of that description ; and so it was in the present, for no one who knew the plaintiff could look at that print and not immediately recognise it as a representation of him, although he was drawn in such a figure as no mortal before had ever seen. He was represented in the act of pulling off the clothes of a bed, in which was a lady, or what was perhaps intended as the figure of a lady; but in his (Mr. Sergeant Vaughan's) opinion it was much more like his brother Wilde.—(Laughter.) —The plaintiff and his assistant appeared to be engaged like two assassins ; but were their " intents wicked or charitable," he would leave the jury to say. They were represented pulling the clothes below, and the lady above.—(A iatigb.)—Beneath this print was written—" L—y, the Bum," which was without doubt intended to apply to his client. Now, ts this latter word might be attached two different interpretations ; hut he would not in this instance take what he believed to be the general one, but would apply it to the situation in life which the plaintiff filled—who was, as he had stated, a sheriff's officer, or as they were generally called, " a bum bailiff." As he had before stated, the portrait could not be mistaken, and at the back was published a description of the plate, in which he was held up as a man misconducting himself in a gross manner in a lady's bedroom. The consequences of this publication were calculated to prove extremely injurious to him and distressing to his feelings, es he would now be invariably met at the comets of the street with the salutation of " There goes Levy the Bum." Ho would now come to the poetical part of the publication, of which the plaintiff might well say, " that some enemy had done this." It was dated the Ist of July, 1826, and was headed, " The Spirit of the Times, or Essence of the Periodicals, concentrating every week all that is worthy (strictly regarding the times) of being preserved from the whole of our newspapers, magazines, &e." It then commenced as follows-L---Y,