The Statesman. — 1812-06-10 (London, England)

GILBERT E. STYES. BET ON BONAPARTE'S LIFE. Mr. TOPPING she wed cause agidist the rule for a new trial in this case, which arose óät 'of a bet made about ten years ago, at the table of the Defendant, Sir Mark Aykes. The report .stitettt that after din. ver, the Plaintiff, whoa was alt Cla,rolians was Pt& • I sent with others, and •the bottle earOlatin; Pretty freely, the affairs of the Continent, end the supposed I precnriou•ness of the situation, of Bonaparte, came under discussion;, upon which Sir Mark said, he would give a guinea a day for his life. fox a hundred , gui:4 as. Upon this the reintiff said, " done— The company present exclaimed, " no bet.", The Plaintiff* said, if Sir Mark mead ask it as a favour, be should " be off;" but Sir Mark replied, Iteseeald never ask a favour at his own table, The next day the Plaintiff sent Sir Mark'Sybes 10A1- witch la arcepted, and paid the bets up in the Ist of January, 1801, amounting to 0151. without the income tax ; after that he ceased, and this action was brought for the arrears. The Jury foun4 for the Defendant.— A rule was granted to set this verdict aside, on the ground that it was against evidcoce. Mr. Topping and Mr. Scarlett now chewed cause against the rule, mid then argued that it was a bet against law, inasmuch as it gave an interest to the Plaintiff to preserve the life of Bonaparte, and in the event of an invasion be would have an interest against the gene. ral interest of the state. They also argued, that it Ma either an annuity or au insurance on the life of Hobe: parte. If it were an insurance on his life, it was void by statute, because the Plaintiffhad no interest in the life insured. And as an annuity, it was also void, because it had not complied with the neces-tary formalites of the Annuity Act. Mr. Har.r.oca was about to hare argued the case on the same side, bat was stopped by Lord ELLENBOROUGII, who said, they would hear the argument further to-morrow ; but he expressed his wonder, that it had not been argued on the ground of interest the other way. It went to mite an interest much more horrible than the .one stated. It went to excite an interest to the crime of assassination. The person win) thus paid an annuity on the 1 life of ati enemy, was interested to put a period to thatlifel and as he might dir it against an May, withotit being answerable to the laws of his owl, country, ft etickestly promoted an interest, by far more end moat to be guarded against by all civilized Stales; namely, en interest to assassinate. lie wished the Coensel to consider the question in this j view on the next argument. The argument was then adjourned, and Mr.'Justice BAILEY tried some un- I important causes at Nisi Prius.  The following articlo is extracted from the Plymouth Telegraph :—" On Wednesday was commit. ted at the Town Hall, by the Rev, Mr. Justice Wit_ !inns, Jame: .Gilson, first mate of the Queen trans. port, for the waist murder of Patrick Fitzgerald, boy about I I years of age, during a voyage to Port Mahon, in January last. This murder seems to have been of the most unprovoked description. I)uring their voyage, a signal was made to the transport by the convoying ship to carry more sail, which was answered by the former ; but, in lowering the pendant, it •became entangled in the main stays, and Fitzgerald was ordered by Gilson to proceed aloft in order to clear it. Fitzgendd. unused to the sea, did not execute the taoc so quickly as Gilson Avished, in consequence of which, he was ordered to stand on the msintop.gallent yard for several hours, by way of punishment. The weather at this time being peculiarly inclement, the boy, terrified by his situation, and shivering with cold, cried most bitter- I ly, when Gilson went up himselfwith a rope to beat hits; but the' boy, in endeavouring to avoid him, ' lost his hold, felt into the sea, and was drowned. litottdarse'maght, Daniel 'Redesh sold his wife in 4Shelfield market-place for six-penile, and actually delivered her to the purchaser In a !Wail Which cost nine-pence.